Missing Piece
by ChiiRyeeBiee
Summary: Sixteen year old Ash Ketchum planned to retravel all five regions to search for something that may complete him. Seventeen year old Gary Oak had everything except a best friend; so when he finally had the chance to save their relationship, he took it. Little did they both know that Ash's "missing piece" wasn't that far, and what Gary felt for Ash was more than what he thought.
1. Starting All Over Again

**(March 4, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 1. Chapter Eight in progress)**

**Greetings. ChiiRyeeBiee here. This story here is my freaking first baby! I remember coming home from school to write it and getting ideas in the middle of class, and I pretty much explored every corner of my brain to come up with a plot. I never did finish it, but I could, that is if I start editing it again. I'll never know what's wrong until I share it huh? I still have doubts about it, so please be kind and message me about any ideas or error corrections! :) I wanna continue nurturing this here, hehehe... It's quite descriptive and uses my old, very amateur writing style. Hope that doesn't discourage you or anything...**

**Given that I do finish this story: it'll be quite long, so bear with me. I'm not very committed when it comes to finishing projects, but if it's well liked, I'll try. Anyways, as already known (or maybe not), I'm a Palletshipping freak, so this is a yaoi story. I don't have any claims on Pokémon. With all of that said, I hope you enjoy reading this! XD**

* * *

**Missing Piece**

Palletshipping; told in alternating viewpoints.

**Summary:** Sixteen (turning seventeen) year old Ash Ketchum was supposed to become a Pokémon Master; but along the way his original goal had changed, since there was always "something missing" from him as he worked towards his goal. Now he was trying to search for it; this "missing piece" that may complete him.

Seventeen year old Gary Oak had everything he wanted: two great careers, a good reputation and his extremely irresistible looks. But what he didn't have was the special best friend he used to have. So when he finally had the chance and to repair their broken relationship, he took it.

Little did Ash know that his "missing piece" wasn't really that far, and little did Gary know that what he felt towards Ash was more than what he thought.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Missing Piece

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

_"You're the voice I hear inside my head, the reason that I'm singing. I need to find you. I gotta find you. You're the missing piece I need the song inside of me. I need to find you. I gotta find you."_

_-Joe Jonas_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter One - Starting All Over Again (Ash's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The past repeated itself.

The past repeated itself, or so they said.

Who would have known that I would repeat the past I've already lived through, and repeat it _on purpose_? Certainly not me, of course. But unless you were really keen for something special to happen or you wanted to remember the memories that meant so dear to you, then _yes_, you would want to relive your past once again, even if you could never replicate the same events your good memories were based upon or rewind to where you were back then just so you could change the mistakes you have done. What has happened in my past will stay the way it is, and yet I was able to relive it, the way I never expected it to be relived.

I, Ash Ketchum, was no Pokémon master... **yet.** I have spent the last six years of my life aiming for this one true goal, travelling to places I never even believed I would visit as a child. Yes, you could say I've been _everywhere_ – I've travelled around Kanto and Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh; I've even travelled around Unova and competed in every Pokémon League Tournament across all five regions. I've been training Pokémon for as long as I can remember, and of course I enjoyed making a variety of new friends. But the day I was up for competition in the Vertress Conference Tournament, I realized something. No matter how hard I tried to become the best by winning battles and competing in a few Pokémon contests, there was something – I didn't know what – that always felt missing inside.

I was able to bond with my friends and Pokémon respectively, and even though I hadn't won every competition I've entered, I _still_ competed. What else could be missing in my life?

Could it be that something felt missing because I needed to win _every Pokémon League Tournament? _Or maybe I had to make newer Pokémon friends, and form bonds with them all?

Whatever it was, _something_ was missing and it left me discontented and empty. And so, I repeated my Pokémon journey once again, in search for that _missing piece_ I so greatly longed to find.

Ten months ago I left Pallet Town on my own in hopes of re-travelling every single region that I have visited so far. I decided to start with the Kanto region since I was already in it and it IS my home region. It just seemed convenient at the time – starting another Pokémon journey where your home was. Add the fact that it was reassuring, knowing that I wasn't that far away from home.

I've earned seven badges so far, and I've made friends with new Pokémon I hadn't encountered well enough back when I was ten years old. I even got the chance to re-battle Brock and Misty at the Pewter and Cerulean Gym, and I've got to say, they put up a really good fight. Alongside me in the same journey were my best buddies Pikachu and Bulbasaur, my new buddies Vaporeon and Haunter, Chansey, and lastly my old pal Charizard. Together through thick and thin during the past ten months, we've stuck by each other, winning battles and getting stronger every day. I really had to thank my Pokémon; it was because of them that I'd gotten so far once again, nearing the battle for my eighth and final badge. It was because of _them _that I could continue to become the very best I can be, but moreover, they have allowed and accompanied me to go on this long and hard search for the part of me that was missing in my life.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

That was my story thus far. Corny right? Like, what kind of sixteen year old goes on a search for '_something missing'_? I didn't even know what it was! But for some reason, my gut feeling kept telling me to find it, whatever IT was. If you were me, I don't think you would have been able to ignore this _something, _either. It constantly bothered me day and night, so one day I just gave up, left Unova, left Cilan and Iris and went on this repeated journey of mine. **Alone**, when all this time I've been reliant on my friends to guide me wherever I needed to go. It was a good thing though. I've learned how to become independent, and there was less hassle doing things my own way.

Mom said to me the day I left Pallet _yet again_ that I've been travelling far too long for her liking. Six years – _sure_, that _was_ a really long time. I've only had a few month-long breaks at Pallet here and there, but after a while I'd be on the road again, with Pikachu and five other Pokémon friends, unknowingly working harder to achieve the goals I'd set for myself.

I guess I'd settle down once I've found what I was looking for. I've always liked travelling, so it may become hard for me to find somewhere to stay. I never could stay at the same place for too long; it was probably always my nature to explore the big wide world. Maybe somewhere in the future, I'd find the perfect place to stay. A place close to home, preferably. If I ever stopped travelling.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I'd just arrived in Viridian City a few hours ago from Pallet Town. It may have been a little cliché for me to say it but it's just as I remembered, with the afternoon August summer sun shining beautifully all over the city, blazing strongly through the leaves of the many deciduous trees around. It was a perfect day to have an epic Pokémon battle – nothing was going to stop me from earning a badge I so greatly deserved. I took a ferry from Cinnabar to Pallet Town, stopped by at home for about two days (Mom wanted me to stay a little longer – she missed me too much) and went on the road to Viridian. I was currently staying at the Viridian Pokémon Center, resting up with Pikachu and my other Pokémon before we could start warming up for our long-awaited battle at the Viridian Gym.

While I waited rather prissily, I wondered to myself who the gym leader was. The last time I challenged the Viridian City Gym, I didn't even meet the gym leader as I recall battling Team Rocket for the Earth Badge. I've been asking some of the people on the way to the center and they all looked at me with faces that gestured, _"I can't believe you don't know the Viridian City Gym Leader"._ I've even been looking in travel guides and pamphlets but nothing. Guess I'd just have to find out once I finished waiting for my Pokémon buddies to be ready to move again.

When Pikachu and the others were done resting up, we all proceeded to the direction of the Viridian Gym. Pikachu was sitting contentedly on my shoulder, holding on tightly as I jogged towards my destination. I came to a soft halt when the gym was finally in sight, taking my time to gaze upon the black-coloured cemented walls, which looked both smooth and shiny from where I was standing. Splashes of red and black were evident, and there was a contrast of red and blue neon lights around the edges of the walls, lit brightly even though it was still around two o'clock pm. The cloudy white pillars I'd seen in the past were now coated with a raven black, the colour of my hair.

Oddly enough the colours of the gym reminded me of... **me**. Black and red – they've always been my favourite colours. I wondered why and when this gym was modified. I really need to keep up with Pokémon News more often.

The entrance was still as large as I remembered, but it was glazed over with crimson paint and there were no guards to scare the life out of me.

"It's now or never, right Pikachu?"

My yellow buddy looked at me and nodded in agreement. "Pika-pi!"

Boldly I tried to push the crimson doors inward, but before I could even touch the steelness of it, it opened in a rather unwelcoming manner on its own, making a whirring sound as it moved.

The gym had _automatic_ doors. Of course. I had to remind myself that a lot of things must have changed in this building in a time span of six years.

Trudging inside the chilly gym, I could see an abundance of blue neon lights and darkness. Everything about the gym screamed _'creepy'_. There were windows, but they were tinted black. The outside of the gym was also black. And inside, black and blue. More and more black. Was the gym a _Ghost-type gym?_

"Hello? Excuse me? I'm here to challenge the Viridian City Gym Leader!" I yelled uncomfortably in the blue darkness. It was the afternoon for goodness sake, how could a building be so damn dark? Even a guy my age would be a little weirded out by that. I could feel Pikachu shivering beside me, his electric sparks audible in the inescapable silence. Suddenly, the lights flicked open, illuminating the darkness that consumed the room.

The room definitely looked better with the lights on. The place looked sophisticated and I could finally see the battlefield, glowing out an aquamarine colour and bordered around by neon lights._ A much better environment,_ I thought in my head. I was surprised those lights were sturdy enough to withstanding the heat of a battle.

Suddenly, a type of dancy music started playing around the room. It was then that Pikachu jumped off my shoulder to inspect his surroundings. He kept looking around for any dangers or suspicious activities.

"Pika-chuu! Pika-pi-pi-pi!" Pikachu pointed at the ceiling. Something was falling from above – was that _glittery confetti_? It showered on me like the drift of snowflakes in the winter.

While I paid attention to the extremely weird welcoming, I didn't notice that someone was standing behind me. I just felt soft hands covering my eyes, rendering me sightless.

"Guess who?" A familiar male voice whispered in my ear.

"Hey! What are you–? _Who are you_?" I screeched disapprovingly, putting my hands on top of the person's hands to pull them away from my eyes.

_That voice... _

_I knew it, but I didn't know it... _

_I've heard it before, but I can't really remember. _

_The voice of an irritating person..._

I could also smell the stranger's distinctive scent, lingering unknowingly in the air.

_It smelled like vanilla..._

The weird thing was I only knew one person who actually loved vanilla enough to smell like it.

"Gary?" I questioned reluctantly. If it was Gary, why was he here in the Viridian Gym? Unless... **Was he really...?**

"I knew you'd be able to tell. You know me too well." The guy answered nonchalantly.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I squirmed away from the older boy's presence, initiating a self-defence stance and going all commando. Chocolate locks and pale skin hit my vision after previously being sight deprived, feeling terribly unamused.

Gary was wearing a white lab coat and a black and red attire with the same shade as that of the outside of the gym. His spiky chocolate hair looked as stylish as always, and his green eyes sparkled even under the indoor lights.

The brunette blinked twice at my sudden reaction. "Woah there, Ashy. It's just me."

Just HIM. I shivered inwardly at the still lingering warmth on my eyelids from his hands.

"You scared me! Why'd you sneak up behind me like that? You could've been an assassin and I wouldn't have known!"

He chuckled at me mockingly. "Well it's a good thing I'm not an assassin. You should be more careful yourself, world's future Pokémon Master. Your ability to detect presences is lacking."

The nerve of him–! How _dare_ he insult me!?

"_Why you–!_ Shut up, you big jerk! Eat bricks, Gary Oak!"

"Alright, alright. Ash, I'm sorry, okay? Now please, drop the foul aura. I just wanted to welcome you in, that's all..." The emerald-eyed teen sighed deeply, slouching and running his fingers through spiky hair.

Gary Oak said sorry and please? _THE_ GARY OAK? What kind of trick was this?

"What have you done to the real Gary? Not that I care, but the Gary I know would never say those _magic_ words because he's supposedly so _superior_!" I chipped in, emphasis on the last word. I came to the Viridian Gym to earn my eighth badge, not this!

"Very funny, Ash. Very funny. But the "real Gary" you speak of is here in front of you. Things change you know."

I crossed my arms in annoyance. "Hmph. The world with two Garys would mean the end of it anyway..."

Once all conflict has ceased to a minimum, Pikachu jumped at Gary excitedly, nuzzling into his face as the brunette picked him up. It really surprised me since Pikachu wasn't that friendly with anyone besides me.

"Hey, Pikachu. Long time no see, aye? I'm sorry about earlier, okay? I didn't mean to make Ash angry. Eevee's in my lab. _Hey Eevee!_ Pikachu's here!" Gary called out to the direction of the door at the other side of the battlefield while he patted Pikachu happily.

Once Eevee emerged from the door excitedly, the emerald-eyed teen let Pikachu down so that he could play with her. It evident that our two Pokémon friends really liked each other's company – they were so happy, finally reuniting after a long time. They skipped off towards the so called 'door-to-the-lab' to play who knows where.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked rather rudely. I was still annoyed at the fact that he insulted me the minute I walked into the building and met him. Seemed almost like déjà vu too.

The older boy couldn't really be the gym leader right? He was supposed to be _at Sinnoh_. And he was _supposed to be a Pokémon Researcher, _not a _gym leader. _Right?

"Are you really that much of an idiot? You're looking at the current gym leader of the Viridian City, thank you very much." The said gym leader bragged.

"Pfft. Since when were YOU a gym leader? I thought you were in Sinnoh and a Pokémon Researcher, not in Kanto and an official gym leader. Let alone the Viridian City Gym Leader! That position's known to be the best in all of Kanto. The type of person who gave you that honourable position must have been affected by an Exploud's Supersonic."

I was really taken aback and infuriated by the fact that Gary was so famous and successful. Of course I'd overreact a little. I didn't even know, and he was a jerk. If I was ever to compose my own dictionary, the word 'jerk' would be a picture of him.

I saw him twitch in annoyance at my comment, but being the jerk he was he recovered completely. "Please Ash, no more of this conflict. You're being childish."

"Well I'm sorry for being so childish! You mocked me! Of course I'd be angry!"

"I want to make things right, okay? No more fighting. Please. Can't we just be friends?"

It was about time we stopped hating each other. That was what I thought, anyway. It has been eleven years since our stupid rivalry began. We were kind of friends, but only slightly, back when we parted ways at Johto and met each other a few times at Sinnoh. To be honest, I didn't even exactly hate the emerald-eyed boy. I just resented the fact that he insulted me. I was sensitive and over-critical with everything he said about me, though I had no idea why.

"Okay..." I dismissed in a defeated tone. He held his hand out for me to shake, which I took unwillingly.

"Anyway, where was I? You asked me how I was a gym leader, didn't you?" The older boy tried to confirm. I nodded at him, more friendly this time.

"I accepted the gym leader position last year – You were in Unova at the time. I wanted to settle down near home, since staying in Sinnoh was a bit too far for my liking. And yes, I'm still a Pokémon Researcher. I just missed battling a lot, and Gramps told me there was an open position for a gym leader in Viridian so I accepted it. It's actually quite convenient for me since I get very few challengers; it gives me more time for my research."

"Oh."

That was the only thing I could say at the moment. To be honest, I thought Gary was amazing, being the industrious perfectionist he was with his work. It was impressive; how someone could take on three known positions at the same time: Professor Oak's grandson (he was born that way, so it wasn't much of a surprise), a Pokémon Researcher and the Viridian City Gym Leader. And yes, you could say I was _slightly_ jealous of him. JUST slightly.

"Uuuh, what's with the confetti? Do you always shower your challengers with so much glitter?" I blurted out in a confused manner, remembering that I was basically covered with the rainbow-coloured stuff.

The older boy chuckled at my remark. Err?

"Hahaha. Did you like my attempt in welcoming you into my gym? I wanted to surprise you about my becoming a gym leader so I told everyone in the city, including Gramps and your mom not to tell you and _specifically you_ that I was the gym leader of Viridian. I wanted to wait for you to come here and shock you, and I guess I did."

"Tch. You're as arrogant and boastful as always, aren't you Gary? Pulling up a stunt like that, just so you could brag about being so AWESOME." I frowned, not pleased at all.

Seriously, he was still tormenting me after all this time. I just didn't understand why.

"No! You got it all wrong. I'm not bragging or anything – I just wanted to surprise you, that's all. Aren't you happy for me?"

"No."

Great, I couldn't believe he surpassed me ONCE again and became one step AHEAD of me, like always. That guy would never let me see the spotlight.

"Aww, why not? We're friends now, aren't we, Ash? Plus, you know that you're way better than me. Having competed in five different leagues, travelling constantly across five different regions – hah! – and you're doing it again! Now that's AWESOME. Me, I'm just staying here, researching and battling. Nothing special compared to you." He cooed, putting his hands on my shoulders and grinning profusely.

What a suck up. Since when was THE Gary Oak even ABLE to suck up to people? Let alone suck up to me, of all people? Tch.

I guess we were kind of 'friends' at the moment, but the sarcasm in his words were so obvious he didn't even need to say it sarcastically. Either that or he was trying to be nice to me. But Gary Oak being nice? I didn't think that could be possible, not in a million years.

I tried to change the subject and decided not to talk about it anymore.

"Uuuh, I like the appearance of your gym. So techno-looking and mysterious. Since when did you like black and red as well? I always thought if you had a gym you'd make it indigo…"

My so called childhood rival flashed me another one of those smirks that I was used to seeing already.

"I still like indigo of course, I just thought, why not use black and red instead? Hah, I'm glad you like it. I wanted it to remind me of you; the black and red I mean."

"Okaay...?" I replied bluntly.

What an embarrassing thing to say. Gary actually thought about me? This guy was trying to flatter me and it wasn't very nice.

"Anyway, how'd you know I was travelling again? Did you hear from Professor Oak or something?"

"You guessed it. Oh, I've been waiting so long to finally battle you again! I take it that you're ready to battle for your eighth badge? Seeing as how you're here and all. You wanna battle now or eat first?"

I grinned. Finally, he was talking about my eighth gym battle! Things were gonna get interesting...! I dusted myself free of the remaining confetti and clenched my fists determinedly.

"I thought you'd never ask! I already ate sooo, let's battle!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Okay! You've heard all the rules all before! This is going to be an official three-on-three Pokémon gym battle! I'm not allowed to switch Pokémon, but you are! You ready, Ashy-boy?" The older boy dictated from the other side of the battlefield.

The excitement welled up in my stomach, feeling ready as ever. I just loved Pokémon battles...

_Wait... Did he just call me Ashy-boy again? Oh come on! _That nickname was so overrated! If he called me that one more time, I swear he'd pay the price.

"DON'T CALL ME ASHY-BOY! But yes, I am so ready! Prepare to lose, Gary!" I yelled back.

I already beat him once before, and he was previously trying to suck up to me so, this battle was gonna be easy.

Or so I hoped...

"No way, Ashy! We may be friends but I definitely won't go easy on you!" The emerald-eyed teen snapped at me, his arrogant personality striking once again.

"Wish me luck, Pikachu!" I winked at my yellow mouse friend who returned with Eevee to watch our battle. Eevee sat next to him comfortably, cheering on for her trainer who I was about to defeat.

"Pi-pi-kachu!" He grinned, throwing another one of his signature peace signs in the air.

_Hmm, let's see... _Gary used all types of Pokémon, including his Blastoise and Arcanine and Nidoking... _Which one would he choose first, I wonder?_

Throwing his first Pokéball, Gary beamed, "The first match is on! Arcanine! I choose you!"

A fiery orange and white dog Pokémon emerged from the red light emitted by the thrown Pokéball.

"Arr-arr!" he barked actively, coal-coloured eyes burning with the readiness to attack. Arcanine's coat was gleaming and shiny, indicating he was being well taken care of. As expected from the perfectionist-of-a-trainer nonetheless...

"A water-type Pokémon has the advantage over a fire-type! Vaporeon, do your best!"

My buddy Vaporeon looked so happy that I chose her for the first match. She pulled a backflip before landing on the glowing battlefield with the same determination to win as Arcanine.

"Impressive Vaporeon. I could see you've been training her really well with her speed and agility. Let's see if she does well in battle! Arcanine go! Try a Take Down attack!" the Pokémon Researcher called out quickly.

Arcanine jumped off from his previous position and sprinted speedily towards Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon dodge it and use Scald!"

Before Arcanine could use his Take Down attack on Vaporeon, she gracefully made a long leap and landed behind the dog Pokémon, using the attack I told her to use. She opened her mouth to release a powerful jet of water, which eventually seared Arcanine's fur from the back. Arcanine yelped sadly in pain.

"Oh! Arcanine! Are you okay buddy?" responded Gary, worried.

"Arr-arr!"

"Sorry, pal. But hey! Let's attack back! Hit Vaporeon with another Take Down!"

"Vaporeon, dodge and use Scald once again!"

"Don't let her hit you again Arcanine! Dodge her attacks! You can do it!"

The two Pokémon moved quickly with our commands, dodging each other's attacks and firing their own. At that moment, it became apparent to me that if I were to win this battle, I should refrain from wasting Vaporeon's energy.

"Vaporeon! Withdraw far from Arcanine! We have to conserve your energy for your attack moves!"

"Vaporeee!" My water Pokémon replied, agreeing.

Vaporeon leaped up again, trying to get away from the fiery dog by moving back without losing her eyes on him. Arcanine continued to use Take Down, aggressively jolting towards my mermaid-like Pokémon in an attempt to give her a hit.

_Come on, Ash. You need a strategy. What was the brunette up to...?_

"Now Arcanine, while her guard is down from retreating! Jump and use Flame Wheel!"

"Counter it with Ice Beam, Vaporeon!"

Arcanine let out an incredible flaming inferno from his mouth, targetting Vaporeon as she moved. My Pokémon allowed a freezing beam to wham directly at the fire, causing ice to melt which poured down on the battlefield as pure water.

_Okay, so the field was now wet. Harder for Arcanine to run but easier for Vaporeon to glide across. Nice._

"Arcanine, watch out for your surroundings! It would be harder for you to move, now that the ground is wet! _Wait..._ Try to dry the water up! Aim a Fire Blast at Vaporeon!"

Another flame from Arcanine was shot directly at Vaporeon. The Eeveelution was still tired from the Ice Beam attack, but the water in the field would make it easier for her to move.

"Vaporeon, glide across the floor to dodge the attack! Use Hydro Pump to finish up that Arcanine!"

Vaporeon did as she was told; she moved away from the Fire Blast attack then leaped up high into the air once more, curling herself into a water ball that was aiming to hit the fire-type.

"Arcanine no! Try to dodge it!"

"Arr-arr!"

Unfortunately for Gary, Vaporeon was too fast as she successfully hit Arcanine with her beautiful water attack. She landed on the ground gracefully as usual, purring proudly with her achievement.

Arcanine on the other hand was too weak to stand up and sadly fainted on the ground, exhausted.

"Yes! Nice job Vaporeon!" I ran to my water-type and patted her head joyfully.

"Vaporeee!" She cried back, smiling at me contentedly.

"Hey, Gary, is Arcanine okay?" I could see him patting his fire-type happily, proud of the battle he just fought.

"Yeah! Arcanine's fine! Don't worry about him Ash! Congratulations!" He replied, returning said Pokémon to his respective Pokéball.

"Pika-chuu-pii!" Pikachu echoed from the sidelines. He looked as happy as me, having Vaporeon win against the arrogant gym leader's Arcanine.

"Vaporeeee!" Vaporeon squealed in a gleeful manner.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Nice battling Ash! Your Vaporeon is incredible! But let's see you beat my next Pokémon! Let the second match begin! Electivire, make me proud, buddy!"

A large, black and yellow monkey-like Pokémon took its ground on the battlefield, its red eyes so intimidating it would cause a Pidgey to faint just by looking into them.

"Electivire? Is there no rule against using Pokémon from other regions?"

I asked, a little puzzled.

"Nope. No such rule. Plus, it's just you and me Ashy, so it's not like it would matter. You know my Electivire really well."

I looked at Vaporeon, who finally took her stance in the battlefield. She looked really tired and exhausted from the previous battle. It would probably be best to switch her out.

"Vaporeon! I want you to return! Electric-attacks have an advantage on you!"

She looked at me and frowned sadly. "Vaporee..."

It seemed that Vaporeon wanted to keep on battling. She did really well in the previous battle, so it may have hurt her pride if she didn't battle this one too. I didn't want her to be in any critical danger though.

"Are you sure you wanna fight? You might take lots of damage! You should rest up first, buddy."

"Vaporee..."

Vaporeon pleaded me to stay in the battle. Her cerulean eyes grew shiny and she pouted like a child, desperate to charm me out. I could never ever resist her cute face.

"Okay then, buddy. Go do your best once more!"

The Pokémon Researcher took my remark as a sign to start the match once and for all.

"Okay, Electivire, start this battle with your Iron Tail!"

"Vaporeon! Counter it with an Ice Beam!"

"Vaporeee!" Vaporeon purred.

"Electivii!" The electric-type began to race towards Vaporeon and swung his glowing tail as hard as he could.

Vaporeon was exhausted – there was no way she could win this battle. She was working her hardest though – I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Poreeee!" Vaporeon whimpered as she got hit by Electivire's Iron Tail. With Electivire up close, she resiliently got back up and fired an Ice Beam at her opponent, scoring a direct hit.

Both Electivire and Vaporeon were down on the ground, tired from their recent hits. Vaporeon looked awful – I couldn't stand watching her so weak!

"Vaporeon, are you okay?"

"Ree! Ree!"

"Electivire, now's your chance! Thunderbolt!" Gary commanded the monkey-like Pokémon.

Electivire was charging up its electricity – ready for a powerful attack. I needed to do something!

"Okay, Vaporeon! Do your best! Leap up behind him and use Hydro Pump!"

Vaporeon glided up in the air – not as agile as she should have been, but she got to where she was.

"Electivire! Behind you!"

Just before my Pokémon could unleash her Hydro Pump, Electivire defended himself with the Thunderbolt he originally had to do. Vaporeon fainted afterwards, her energy overexerted.

"Vaporeon! Buddy!" I ran to her frail body and held her against me.

"Vaporeeee-ree..."

"You did well, Vaporeon, have a rest now." I said, returning the mermaid-Pokémon to her Pokéball.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Gary was really concerned with Vaporeon's loss. He even ran up to me and tried to reassure me by patting my shoulder. "Ash, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go so ha–"

I interrupted the older boy by saying, "Hey, it's a battle, Gary. She just needs to rest."

"Hehhh, right... Sorry..." He replied uneasily.

What was up with the older boy and his so called _concern_ for me? It was really weirding me out. Did he think I was so pathetic that I couldn't win this battle and if I lost I would break down and cry like a baby? No way! I had to show him who's boss!

I stood up, taking my stance at my side of the battlefield and shrugged him off a little too rudely. "I haven't lost yet, Gary-Berry! Don't go all soft on me!" I shouted at him.

_Gary-Berry._ I didn't know how I thought of that. Hah! Now I had a nickname for _big mean Gary!_ That would get him so riled up, I just knew it. It would stop him from going all soft on me and serve as revenge after calling me Ashy-boy _for years!_

"GARY-BERRY? Whatt?" The emerald-eyed boy questioned, his eyebrows furrowed to achieve a confused look.

"Yep. That's right. Garyyyy-Berryyyy! I'm not a baby, if that's what you think! So are we gonna battle or not? !" I pouted and teased him. But I get it now. Those years of calling me Ashy-boy – it's not half bad when you're on the dealing end.

Gary looked red in the face. He didn't look angry, more like, embarrassed from what I just said. _That wasn't something you saw everyday! X mark's hit the spot! Haha!_

"Fine, _Ashy-love!_ I'll battle you with all my berry might!" He countered, returning to his original battle stance.

ASHY-LOVE? That was worse than Ashy-boy! Fine! Two could play it that way...

"Grr! Why you! Charizard, go! Knock the smirk off Gary-Berry's face!"

My fire-type buddy appeared before the both of us, roaring magnificently like a strong gust of wind.

My Charizard was very powerful. Even Gary should have known that. This battle was gonna be my victory!

"Electivire, pal! His wittle mittle baby Charizard is all yours! Thunder Attack now!"

From the really awful phrasing, the chocolate-haired teen's electric type wasn't exactly sure whether or not that was a legitimate command, so he stood there just looking at his trainer in a daze.

Charizard however was not pleased at all. No one should ever call my fire dragon a baby! Especially not Gary!

Without me telling him what to do, Charizard flew towards Electivire and lifted him up into the air. Seismic Toss! My Charizard was definitely highly-trained.

Minutes after the attack, Electivire came crashing to the ground. His dazed and dizzy state indicated that he was unable to battle any longer.

I was extremely proud of my Charizard. That win was just too easy.

"Nice going Charizard! Way to show Gary-Berry who's boss! Nobody calls you a baby, ever, right pal?" I congratulated my buddy Pokémon. He in return gave me a toothy smile and winked one of its blue eyes at me.

"Chaaaaaaar!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

It was the third and final match for me; if Charizard won this match, then I would have officially defeated Gary again and I could finally earn my Earth badge! One more step closer to finding what I was looking for.

Gary made a face that didn't look like he knew how the battle was going to end. _It was going to end with me victorious and him, the loser! That's what! He just had to accept it; I was so much better than him. He even said so himself!_

"Now you're going to see my best, Ashy-love! Blastoise! Do me good!"

I knew it was going to be Blastoise. It was his starter Pokémon – a pal he'd been with forever like Pikachu and I. He had the advantage type at that moment, but Charizard was definitely going to win. He's done it before, so he can do it AGAIN._ I was sure of it._

"Charizard, start with a Flamethrower!"

"Blastoise, counter it with Water Gun!"

That was a really stupid attack from me. I should have known better that the flames Charizard fired out would be immediately doused with Blastoise's water attacks. The battle was not over yet, however.

Blastoise was a heavy Pokémon, so his speed was not very good. _I needed to tell Charizard to attack from the air._

"Blastoise! Hydro Cannon! Aim for your opponent!"

"Charizard, fly up high! Use Smokescreen from above and approach Blastoise from the back!"

Hearing what I said, Charizard rose, emitting an abundant amount of black smoke in the air. He was going to be harder to track in such thick smoke. Great advantage for me.

I've been training Charizard to be able to see in his own Smokescreen for a long time, so even I could see exactly what was going on.

"Blastoise! You heard what he said! Use your ears to find Charizard and Hydro Cannon behind you!"

Charizard was not a stupid Pokémon. Our bond was strong enough that sometimes I let him come up with his own tactics, and I was fine with that. I trusted him. I trusted him to dodge and win this for the both of us. That was how Pokémon battling should be, after all.

With the turtle Pokémon's guard down, Charizard scored a direct hit with another one of his powerful moves – Fire Blast. The water-type was firing a jet of water from behind him and did not notice that Charizard was actually in front of him. Blastoise was thrown off balance - he tripped over and fell to the ground, making a crashing noise and an earthquake-like shake could be felt around the the battlefield.

"Blastoise? Are you alright?" asked the emerald-eyed boy with concern in his voice tone.

"Toise!" His Pokémon writhed in pain.

"Alright, use Hydro Pump on the air to get rid of the smoke! Afterwards, aim for Charizard, pal! If in doubt, use Withdraw to boost your defense!"

"Toise!" The turtle Pokémon stood up resiliently, initiating the attacks he was set to do.

The smokescreen unfortunately turned into acid rain as Hydro Pump rained down on it. Darn it.

"Charizard, dodge those water jets and use Seismic Toss, now!"

"Chaaaaaar!"

"Hydro Pump as Charizard approaches!"

A jet of water knocked Charizard off-balance, but he continued flying and dodging his opponent's attacks.

My fire-type was already close to Blastoise when the Pokémon Researcher commanded his Pokémon yet again. "Now Blastoise, jump and use Skull Bash!"

Skull Bash unfortunately hit my fire dragon down to the ground, and it was used pretty close too so Charizard definitely took a great deal of damage.

"While he's weak. Use Hydro Cannon!"

"Charizard, counter it with your Fire Blast!"

The two attacks clashed together forming another cloud of smoke around the gym._ This was like déjà-vu from the Silver Conference!_

"Gooo Charizard!"

Blastoise was too slow to notice that Charizard used his Fire Blast to draw his opponent's attention away from his presence behind him. It was then that my fire-type used the Seismic Toss that was interrupted earlier. Even with Blastoise using Withdraw, I didn't think the water Pokémon could stand after being thrown to the ground once more. And I guessed right, determining me as the champion of the battle. Charizard was flying around the neon-lit gym, roaring what I believed was a, "_Hah, who's the baby now, Gary?"_ kind of call.

It was too easy a win for me.

Which was weird, seeing as how this was Gary that I was battling. _And he was supposed to be the best gym leader in Kanto! He wasn't that hard to defeat at all!_

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Congratulations Ashy. You've earned yourself an Earth Badge..." The brunette began, walking swiftly towards me after recalling his Blastoise back.

When he was finally standing in front of me, he extended his hands, taking my own and placing the badge I'd earned in the middle of my palm before closing it into a fist. The badge felt really warm; it was probably because Gary was just holding it. The brunette continued to look at me with those sparkly green eyes, smiling proudly at my achievement.

Pulling away from him, I teased the older boy.

"You went easy on me! Do you really think I'm that pathetic? Even after what you said about me being so AWESOME, I don't think you took me seriously enough! Brock and Misty fought me fair and square but you just let me win. You jerk!"

The chocolate-haired boy sighed quietly to himself. "Ash, you know I'd never do that. Plus, I've only started battling again a year ago. You have way more experience than me. So if it seemed that I was too easy to beat it may have been because you were too strong of an opponent to actually lose to me."

I furrowed my eyebrows questioningly at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

I scratched my head, a little flattered by his words. _How could I have doubted my own abilities?_

Staring at him for a moment, I tried to find some kind of smirk or lying expression hidden on his face from what he said to me. It was just weird; a nice Gary was almost impossible to comprehend. He'd always been such a jerk to me. He looked a little stressed the more I looked closely – he had eye bags that flawed his supposedly perfect face.

Had he not been sleeping right? Not that I cared – of course I didn't – but it looked like he needed a really good rest.

"Gary, you look really tired. If you're feeling sick and tired you should get some rest! You work too hard." I pointed out honestly, thinking out loud.

"Why so concerned, hmm, Ashy-love? I'm fine as I am now."

Scowling, I turned away from his snide remark. _The nerve of him~! He made it sound like it was wrong to care! Gosh!_

I didn't even notice that Pikachu and Eevee left the sidelines of the battlefield from when Vaporeon won her match until they both arrived in front of us, side by side. I guess the battle was too much of a commotion for them to take their well-deserved naptimes.

Pikachu jumped at me and made himself comfortable in my arms. I take it he was trying to congratulate me for the battle with his simple sign of affection.

"Thanks buddy."

"Pi! Pi-pikachu! Pika-chuu pika..." My yellow friend exclaimed, pointing to the door. He jumped back down and ran towards it, Eevee following close behind.

_That's right!_ Now that I've earned my eighth badge, I promised my Pokémon we'd go celebrate with some kind of buffet at a restaurant as a reward or some kind of break from battling so hard.

"Soo uuuh, Gary?"

"Hm?" He looked at me expectantly. He was just standing there, spacing out from the world, like he didn't even exist. _Earth to Gary_! I swear, he definitely needed some sleep. Stress could tamper with your everyday thoughts and actions.

Excusing myself, I spoke nonchalantly, "Well, I have to get back to the Pokémon Center now. Me and my buddies are gonna go celebrate or something. Thanks for the battle today. I hope you have a good day."

He looked at me with sad eyes, like he didn't want me to leave.

"Yeah... Okay..." He didn't move an inch as I began advancing towards the door, waving goodbye to the said Pokémon researcher and gym leader.

"Sleep some more Gary! I don't want anything else to happen to you! Come on, let's go Pikachu."

"Pi-pikachuu!"

Just as I was about to take my first step alongside my best buddy out the door, a strong hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me back gently.

"Wait, Ash!" The older boy pleaded, his hand still on my wrist, not wanting to let go.

"Gary?"

"Let's catch up. You know. Go out to have a vacation or something. You said it; I really need a break, and you're celebrating so you might want to reward yourself as well as your Pokémon with a vacation too right?"

_A vacation with Gary? _A little peculiar but, I wouldn't pass off an offer to one! He was right – I did need a vacation, he did need more sleep, and we both needed to catch up with each other, seeing as how we were… friends and all.

"I happen to have two tickets on my desk that Daisy gave me to the Sevii Islands. It's about a week long – the vacation – one day to visit each island I guess. The ferry there from Pallet Town is in two days and I've already packed... I don't really want the other ticket to go to waste." He continued.

I looked at my electric-type still standing next to the gym door for some reassurance. He was nodding at me excitedly.

"That sounds awesome! Sure! I'd love to go! But, I don't have much money... and where exactly are the Sevii Islands?"

Gary finally let go of my wrist to straighten his lab coat and hair just a bit. " It's okay, Ashy. Everything's on me, but just bring some money anyway and I'll pay it off. It's such an awesome place there, you know!"

"Really? Thanks! Well, I haven't ever been there."

"Well soon you would! Okay, I'll be off to Pallet Town in two days. I'll meet you at your house, alright? I just need to tidy up a few things here and there until I'm ready."

I smiled at him gleefully. Yay! A vacation! With the beach! And swimming! My Pokémon and I would love that! It was also a chance to catch up with my childhood rival – a chance to finally make things right between us, I guess. Although I opposed the thought of being with the jerk for an entire week I did want to become friends with him again. _He was my childhood best friend after all..._

"Sure! I'll pack my things at home tonight then. See you then!"

He waved at me more cheerfully than he looked when I said goodbye previously.

"Yeah, see you. Bye Ashy-love!"

And he still had the ability to tease me. Once a jerk, always a jerk.

"See you too, Gary-Berry!"

Before he had the chance to complain, I left the Viridian City Gym with Pikachu in my arms, happily contented with what had happened during the day. A vacation huh? I couldn't wait! Although it was with Gary, my long-time rival and childhood friend. _With Gary…_

I wished to myself that just this once, I hoped things would all be well. Hopefully we could nurture a new friendship, revive our old one and start over, _all over again._


	2. The Chance of a Lifetime

**(March 5, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 2)**

**Gutentag! ChiiRyeeBiee here :)**

**In dedication to my beautiful OTP and its ever-so-amazing shipping day which happens to be today, I bring you Chapter Two of Missing Piece. It's not perfect I tell you now, but I'll share it anyway. Don't hate meeeee~**

**Do I even have to tell you that Ash and Gary are both boys and together in this story and not mine? Kinda did already... Oh well. I warn you for extreme narrativity. Just sayin'.**

**HAPPY PALLETSHIPPING DAAAAAAAY! And for those who are looking for another Palletshipping day fic (ish), I wrote another one especially for this day because I love Ash and Gary soooo verrrry much! :3 My profile is easily accessible ~.~**

**Kkk! Ima leave you to proceed...enjoy!**

* * *

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter Two - The Chance of a Lifetime (Gary's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Ash actually said yes.

Ash actually said yes to my really weird proposal.

I feared that he would say no since he could have been busy with preparing for the Indigo Conference Tournament, and also because I knew he didn't like me very much and he wouldn't have wanted to be stuck with me for a whole week. Clearly he still disliked me but it was kind of acceptable, seeing as how I teased him myself. I hoped anyway, for the majority of my time with him, there wouldn't be any conflict between us.

Ever since our rivalry ended and we became _friends _again after the Silver Conference Tournament, I'd been waiting for a long time to talk and spend time with the raven-haired boy. I was always busy with my own career, and he was also busy in chasing his own dreams. I never really had a chance to talk things out with him, but now I could!

What we would talk about I didn't know yet. Maybe we could discuss about my research and his travels respectively; just catch up like how friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time would have done.

I was happy he said yes.

_And I wanted him to say yes._

I wanted to say I was sorry that I treated him the way I did in our childhood. I couldn't even remember well enough what caused me to be so mean to him. It was something along the lines of competition, I wasn't so sure. But soon I'd get to hang out with him and show him that I wasn't the jerk I used to be. I'd get to show him that I actually cared about him, not that he needed me to. I'd get to treat him like a best friend again; the best friend of mine that he used to be.

_I just wished everything between us would become the way it was again._

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Secretly I've been keeping track of Ash's location around Kanto from Gramps, excited yet impatient for him to earn his seventh badge so he would come and battle me already.

Our battle was far from what I expected – I lost way easier than I thought I would have (and I did expect myself losing to him seeing as he was better than me already) and Ash had grown a lot too. His raven hair was as straight as ever, and his chocolate eyes never lost their vibrant shade of brown. Ash was also a lot taller from when I last saw him but he was still shorter than me, and he still had some baby fat and those neat little whisker marks on his cheeks. He wore a different casual outfit – a blue and white top that contrasted his very black jeans – and of course, his usual favourite red and white hat. No matter how old he got, I still found him as cute as ever. He was still the same adorable Ashy to me.

I could have travelled to where Ash was in Kanto at the time but I was just too busy. He must have been busy too, and he most likely would not have wanted to see me. I also could have called him on his Poké Gear to ask him if we could just meet up when I had the time but I didn't really want to. Either I was afraid that he would refuse to meet me, or that I was too much of a prideful guy to call my childhood friend and ask if we could hang out. I know it was idiotic. I had to change my unwanted arrogant attitude if I really wanted Ash and I to become friends again.

Another reason I hadn't met up with him yet was because I also wanted to shock Ash a bit – he never would have expected me to become a gym leader, let alone the infamous Viridian City Gym Leader. It was so much easier to work closer to home. I wanted to be closer to the place that had all my childhood memories; memories that were mostly about starting out my own Pokémon journey, and a few about Ash and I still being friends, of course.

Daisy was the one who planned the extravagant confetti-shower-sneak-up-behind-Ash welcome for me. She figured I wanted to make up with Ash that badly, so she spent hours upon hours getting all the confetti in the gym roof and testing if it looked nice enough. When I got the gym she also told me to paint it red and black, knowing that Ash would have liked it when he did visit, and he did.

Then she gave me those tickets to the Sevii Islands, hoping that I would invite him to a holiday so we could hang out. I really did appreciate her helping me to become friends with Ash again. She insisted it was no big deal; saying that she wanted me to _"finally be happy",_ whatever that meant. I was already happy. I had everything a guy could want: I was attractive (even I knew that!), I had two admirable careers, and I was well-known by everyone and anyone. Maybe I did want some company here and there, but overall, my life was awesome. I didn't need to be happier than I already was.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Like I promised Ash, I was to meet him in Pallet Town on the day the ferry was about to leave. I tidied up my lab and closed up the gym, leaving behind all my work and bringing nothing but a large purple knapsack for my clothes and things and my Pokémon with me. I took my leave by walking to Pallet Town, which was only an hour's journey away. I let Eevee walk beside me; the brown fluffy Pokémon smiling back at me. I could tell that she too was excited to go on a vacation. Plus, she'd get to hang out with Ash's Pikachu, her best friend. Lucky them. All I had to do now was to make Ash my best friend too. Then we'd all be together for a long time.

Looking around Route 1 as I walked, I could see the strong rays of the sun beating down strictly on the ground. The breeze felt warm and I could see a flock of Pidgey having playful fights in the sky as they flew. I always looked forward to the near end of the summer season. It was on the month of August, which was Ash's special birth month. Lucky for me, his birthday was in three days, which meant that I could throw a special celebration for him during our holiday. It just contributed even more to my make-up-and-become-best-friends-with-Ash-again plan.

When Eevee and I finally arrived in Pallet Town, we stopped by at my place to bid Daisy goodbye. She waved to me eagerly with an expression that read, _'I want you to be happy, make the most of it'._ I swear, she worried about me too much. I was already seventeen for goodness sake. Still, Daisy was my older sister, and she loved me as much as I loved her.

Ash was already outside his house when I got there. He was sitting by the same evergreen tree at his front yard where he and I used to hang out at when we were small. Humbly petting his Pikachu, Ash smiled away easily like the happiest child on earth. I loved the way he smiled. Even from childhood, seeing him smile never ceased to make me happy. Ash was wearing his usual outfit, and he had a bright green trolley bag subjected beside him, also next to the tree.

Without hesitation Eevee sprinted towards my raven-haired friend and tackled him to the ground playfully. Pikachu squealed happily at Eevee's arrival and they went off to play somewhere close by. I walked up to Ash who was still on the ground and tried to help him up by holding my hand out for him to take. Ash smiled at me even more, happy to see me I guess, and happy to be off to a vacation.

"You excited?" I asked as he took my hand and stood up, straightening out the clothes that Eevee made creases on.

"Yeah. We're just on the ferry today right?" He replied, tilting his head to make himself look adorable.

He wasn't even trying to look cute. He just WAS. Typical move for such a hyperactive friend of mine. He always looked so happy and bright and positive. He had to; when you travelled, you met new friends, and new friends were always available to Ash. I wanted to be his special friend, his best friend – the friend he thought of the most and the friend he could always rely on.

I answered his question with a quick nod. "Tomorrow's when the real holiday starts. We're gonna be visiting every single island, each with their own special activities to do there. I swear it would be fun."

Beaming joyously at me, he took his trolley bag and started marching down the road. "Pikachu! Come on! We're gonna be going soon! You come too, Eevee!" He announced to our Pokémon friends, who were playing near a thick bush at the front garden.

It was then that Mrs Ketchum, Ash's mom, came out through the front door with Mr Mime right beside her.

"Are you leaving now, honey?" She inquired to be sure. Mr Mime merely walked over to where Pikachu and Eevee were to give them a goodbye snack.

"Yup! I'll see you in a week, Mom! I'll be training close to home before the tournament starts so you won't miss me too much!" The younger boy confirmed gladly.

"Alright honey. Gary dear, please take care of Ashy for me. I hope you boys have a safe and enjoyable trip." Mrs Ketchum requested, her hands clasped together in a pleading action.

"I most definitely will, Mrs Ketchum. Thank you. I hope you have a great week as well!" I formally responded.

"Boys! Call home every now and then, okay? I'll be waiting by the phone or if not, Mimey will be! Gary, call your sister or grandfather as often as you could too!"

"Yes, Mom!"

"Of course, Mrs. Ketchum."

She continued to smile at Ash and I, her wishes that we have fun genuine. The hazel-eyed teen continued to walk along the all-too-familiar dirt road exiting from his house, Pikachu and Eevee rushing towards him to join in. I smiled one last time at Ash's mom before taking my leave towards the ferry dock with the ravenette and our Pokémon friends.

"Gary!" Mrs Ketchum called out to me again. Her tone of voice sounded insistent and desperate, like what she was about to say was important for me to remember.

"I hope you boys become really happy together. I give you my utmost blessings. Take care." After saying this she gestured to Mr Mime and both of them went back inside the house.

Happiness and blessings. She made it sound like Ash and I were getting married or something. We were just friends going out to a holiday! What was it with people saying that I wasn't happier than I already was? Uuugh, well whatever.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I had no time for any more deep thinking since our ferry was bound to leave in an hour. Ash and I carried on walking to the Pallet Town ferry dock, silence present between us. It was kind of awkward. There we were – two friends who needed to catch up with life but had nothing to talk about. I really needed a good topic to discuss with him. I wanted to wait for the right moment to apologize to him for what I'd done in the past, and now was not the time to do it.

"So," I began hesitatingly, "...how's your travelling been so far? Any interesting battles you want me to hear about?"

Ash shrugged weakly, thinking of a decent reply. "Good so far, really. As for my battles, well, you should have witnessed the battle I had against Sabrina! My Chansey totally won against her Alakazam!"

"You have a Chansey? Since when?"

"Oh, I got my Chansey from the Nurse Joy of Pewter City, just after I challenged Brock for the Boulder Badge. Her Chansey recently gave birth – weird I know – and the Happiny that hatched from the egg evolved into a Chansey before she knew it. She gave it to me since she thought it would be best if Chansey went travelling instead of going to medical school like the other Chanseys do."

I nodded my head in response. "I see..."

Strange... I wondered why Nurse Joy thought about wanting to send Ash's Chansey travelling with him? Most of the Chanseys I knew went to medical school and there was no argument about it.

"Interesting story Ash. Do tell me how you got your Vaporeon."

He smiled cheesily, ready to tell me another story of his. I just loved listening to Ash's voice. I didn't really understand why exactly all the little features my best friend possessed suddenly became more noticeable. It explained just how little I knew about him, and how far apart we'd become in the last six years. I missed having a best friend; I knew that much. I definitely needed to know more about him, and get him to put his trust in me once more.

We arrived at the ferry dock minutes after Ash told me how he received his Vaporeon from the four Eevee brothers he ran into once again. Looking around, I saw a largely displayed digital clock in the middle of the dock. It was about one-fifteen, so we had forty-five minutes until the ferry's departure. Maybe it was wise to board it as soon as possible.

Pikachu and Eevee looked a little tired from walking the distance, so both the ravenette and I picked them up and carried them on our shoulders. The younger boy decided to carry his trolley bag instead of dragging it along with him.

Soon after that we boarded the so-called_ Seagallop _Ferry, finding comfortable seats at the front deck since Ash wanted to see the water.

I've seen the Seagallop Ferries before. They varied in size, depending on the amount of passengers they could carry to the Sevii Islands. The ferry we boarded was actually reasonably small – from walking around inside I would have guessed that it carried at least one hundred people. That was acceptable, seeing as how we were in the Pallet Town ferry dock and Pallet was a very quiet place. The ferry's white walls were gleaming in the light, and there were a few crowds here and there, trying to get to their seats.

"I'm so excited! You are too, aren't you, Pikachu?" My raven-haired friend exclaimed, dropping his bag on the ground as he plopped down on his seat comfortably. Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Hey Gary, what time are we getting there? And you know how you said there were seven islands? Which one will we be staying at primarily?"

I sat beside him, putting my own knapsack down. Eevee remained still on my shoulder as I looked up at the azure sky replicating the beautiful blue shades of the water. My brown fluffy Pokémon jumped down on my lap, snuggling against my right palm and ready to slumber. Now was her naptime, I remembered.

"The Sevii Islands are kind of far. They're between Kanto and Hoenn, so it would take about three or so hours to get there. By the time we arrive, it'll be five pm, so we'll just get some dinner and rest up in our hotel. According to our itinerary, we'll be staying in Boon Island's Paradise Inn. That's the second island by the way."

"Okay."

"Say, have you eaten lunch yet? I'm pretty sure there's a buffet inside, so we can eat up before the ferry leaves. That sound nice to you?" I suggested considerately.

"Sure thing! I can never pass off an offer of food! Let's go!" He dashed off quickly, Pikachu still with him. I picked Eevee up carefully and carried her with me deep inside the ferry, following Ash's natural instincts to find the buffet table.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The buffet was just as I expected – not crowded with people, but plentiful of food. There were cuisines from all over the world, and even though not many people were in this particular ferry, the Seagallop Ferries were always of a high quality when it came to food service. I ate contentedly while Ash kept stuffing his face with every new meal he wanted to try. Eevee remained sleeping on my lap, and Pikachu helped the hazel-eyed boy finish their bountiful lunch. Some things, really never changed. Ash was still the _always-hungry-bastard _I used to know. I didn't really care. I liked him that way and wouldn't ever want him to change.

After eating, I got the Pikachu Trainer to talk more about his recent travels, specifically around Unova and his repeated Kanto journey. In the next several minutes of the ferry trip I listened to him talk about his victorious battles with Elesa in Nimbasa City, Drayden in Opelucid City and his rematch with Lieutenant Surge, the gym leader of Kanto's own Vermillion City. We didn't even notice the time until the speakers announced that we were docking at Boon Island in ten minutes. When I checked my Pokétch, it was four fifty-two. Such accurate timing. I stood up, ready to move out and carried my knapsack up again, careful not to wake my sleeping Pokémon.

Ash and I kind of struggled to get off the Seagallop Ferry. The supposedly few crowds grew in numbers as they pushed past each other to get to the exit. The hazel-eyed teen held Pikachu protectively, trolley bag in the other hand, and Eevee woke up in my arms, unamused. Gosh, those people were desperate. I thought that the Sevii Islands would be a quieter tourist spot now that summer was nearly over. It turned out that the Sevii Islands were popular all year around.

Boon Island was one of the large islands in the Sevii area. It was of a lush green colour, full of trees and flower gardens that the local people were fond of tending to. There weren't many rural houses or shops around, but Boon Island was famous for a few things – their five-star hotel Paradise Inn and their exciting-looking amusement park just at the top of the mountain. I haven't visited the amusement park before but I was positive that Ash and I would definitely enjoy going there.

The crowds around us dissipated, with people going off to different directions, walking or renting bicycles to their respective destinations. Ash and I, along with our buddy Pokémon, continued walking out of the dock, aware that we were soon to approach a small village. There was a beach nearby as I could hear waves crashing down onto the grainy sand, and a tang of salt ghosted over the windy breeze.

Pikachu and Eevee wanted to play freely by themselves so Ash and I let them run ahead of us while I frantically read over the map I received along with our trip tickets and our itinerary. The ravenette was looking over my shoulder, wondering if he could be of any help.

"Looks like we're not far from Paradise Inn. It's just ahead of us apparently – approximately a ten minute walk. You can keep on walking right? We could probably take a rest if you're tired. And are you sure you don't need help with your bag? It looks heavy to me."

He shrugged uncomfortably, as if what I said didn't please him as much as I thought.

"I'm... good with walking. And I can carry my own bag..." He pouted, leaving me behind to put the map away.

"Alright then."

The hazel-eyed boy kept walking, his head so high up in the clouds that he completely missed the large pebble on the road. I grabbed his arm subconsciously so that he wouldn't trip over forwards.

"Geez, Ash. You're real clumsy, aren't you? You should really watch your way, you know. You can't expect me to save you at times like these."

The Pikachu Trainer scrambled away from my grip defensively, shrugging violently in the process. "No one asked you to help me, you arrogant bastard! Sheesh! You could have just let me trip if it was SO much of an effort to help me."

"Woah! Calm down! I was just concerned and I did it on impulse! You would have fallen over and hurt yourself, okay? No need to lash out..." I argued back. He was being way too childish for something so small! I didn't do anything wrong! Did I?

"What is it with you, seriously? I'm not buying your whole _nice façade_ you know! I'm not a baby! I don't need to be fussed over; I'm sixteen years old for goodness sake! Do you want something from me, that's why you're being so nice?"

I just stood there, dumbfounded. Pikachu and Eevee, oblivious to what was happening, walked on along the smooth, cemented pathway.

Gosh, I didn't know why Ash was so mad about me being concerned about him. Was I really that mean to him before that the possibility of me being nice to him again was illogical? I didn't mean to baby him so much – I never got to do it in the past twelve years after our rivalry started. I was supposed to be the older one, the one to protect him. I was just caring about him, even in the tiniest way possible.

"Sorry..."

His infuriated expression softened; his face dropping sadly.

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden...?"

I sighed in defeat. Now was honestly the time to apologize, although it seemed too inappropriate. "Because I want to be. We're friends remember? That's why we're on this holiday together! I just want to be your friend again, Ash. I'm sorry...okay?"

He was studying my facial expressions closely to check if what I said was a lie. Why did he react so badly?

"Mm-sorry." He mumbled inaudibly, feeling a bit guilty for lashing out.

Ash was putting on that adorable-looking face again. Was it wrong to think that your best friend is cute, especially when he's a sixteen year old guy?I hoped not. I decided to put my arm around his shoulder so I could walk much closer to him. Like friends did.

"It's okay."

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Pikachu and Eevee were still running ahead front of us, but they were a bit too far. In a matter of minutes like I predicted, we arrived in front of a gigantic, sky-coloured building.

Paradise Inn was huge. There was a welcome sign high above us, in clichéd yellow cursive writing and an island for a background. I could see some pools just beside the inn, and it was several storeys high. LED lights also adorned the edges of the two-door entrance in front of us.

"Pikachu! Pikachu-pika!"

"Veeee! Ee-veee-eee!"

Our Pokémon friends were calling happily out to us, telling us to hurry up. I was still walking with my arm around Ash's shoulder, so we were walking rather slow.

The automatic glass doors opened for us as we approached the entrance. The first thought that came to my mind was, _'wow, what a building'_. Definitely five star. Lots of gold and silver panels it was almost blinding. There were soft looking maroon cushions and sofas in the waiting area. It looked to me like a really grand Pokémon Center.

The lady at the front desk had blonde hair and she was dressed in a blue uniform which made her look like a stewardess.

"Hi, how may I help you?" She voiced helpfully.

"Hi, we have a reservation for Gary Oak? Seven day stay?"

She was typing away in her computer, glancing at me with guilty eyes and back at her form of technology. Ugh, how bothersome. As professional as she looked, she could not hide the fact that she was checking me out. And that's not me being overconfident my looks, alright? I'm just not dense.

Denseness or whatnot aside, she was not my type at all, not that I had any particular type. Girls were never really a big part of my life and I didn't want them to be – not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

"Oh yes, Mr. Oak, welcome! Your room is at Level 2, Room 141. Here are your keys, sir. Enjoy your Paradise stay!"

I took the keys with my right hand since my left arm was still around Ash. I pulled him even closer, causing the younger boy to squirm. He was so close; I could even smell his sweet cinnamon scent. Cinnamon huh? How unique.

Walking towards the elevator, the hazel-eyed teen embarrassingly pushed me away. He continued pulling that green trolley bag of his, which glided silently across the tiled floor.

I picked Pikachu and Eevee up beneath me, carrying them to let the two rest up from running. Pikachu climbed on my head and Eevee stayed in my arms, snoozing again.

"...What was that... all about…?" Ash muttered demandingly.

"What was what all about?"

"Y-You...being all...touchy-feely here and there...ugh."

"What? Am I not allowed to touch my best friend?" Typical Ash.

"You're a jerk, you know that? Don't get cocky, Oak. There's this thing called boundaries? Pfft, so much for trying to be my friend again…" He complained, walking into the opened elevator and pushing the _two_ button.

"You're cute when you're pissed."

"Shut up. I hate you Gary." was all he could say as he walked out of the elevator, leaving me behind with our Pokémon friends.

Room 141 had a crimson door like that of my gym to begin with. I told Ash to grab the keys from my pocket to let us both inside. It wasn't that large, the room. Walking inside there was a small kitchen at the left hand side and a tiny refrigerator just next to it. The lounge had two red sofas and a flat screen television lined up diagonally from the wall corner. Red curtains draped down to cover the sliding door which led to a nice little balcony outside the room. The walls were of a beige colour and there was a nice air conditioner just above the television. To the right hand side there were two doors; I assumed one of them led to the bathroom while the other led to the bedroom.

Pikachu hopped off to make himself comfortable on one of the red sofas. Eevee heard him calling her, so she woke up and jumped off me as well. Ash and I walked over to one of the mysterious doors, trying to find the bedroom.

The bedroom was beautiful. More gold walls and red fabric. There were two separated single-sized beds in the middle of the room, both covered in a thick, scarlet duvet. My raven-haired friend dropped his trolley bag next to the left bed and let himself sink down into the soft mattress.

"Yay! I could sleep now!" He commented, snuggling into the red sheets. He was so cute.

I dropped my own bag, opening it up to find a change of clothes.

"We have to eat dinner though. Wanna go out to the restaurant or just stay here and I'll call for pizza or something?"

He turned to me with a puppy face; his eyes moist and his bottom lip curled up.

"Let's go to the restaurant!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"So, Ash. You're still chasing your dream huh, seeing as how you've repeated your journey again." I mentioned to him as we walked back to our room, full and contented. Ash was tarrying behind me since he ate at least five servings of barbecue roasted chicken, to no surprise.

"Mm-mmh." He shook his head no.

It was about seven thirty pm – the restaurant was highly busy and we didn't get to eat until after twenty minutes of waiting. We also chatted and rested after our meals since we ate a lot. Who wouldn't eat so much in a five-star restaurant?

"I have a new goal, to be honest." He finally said as we approached our room door. Pikachu and Eevee were both sleeping on the sofa, cuddling each other adorably. Their food bowls were also half empty. I sighed, thinking to myself that they didn't finish their dinner again.

Ash and I both walked into our bedroom – tired, happy and wanting to sleep. For seven-thirty, it was already dark outside. Now was a great time to rest up, even though it would have been considered too early to fall asleep.

"Really? Do tell me what it is."

Ash took a change of clothes and walked towards the bathroom to have a shower.

"I'll tell you later." He replied, leaving me in our bedroom to curiously wonder what his so called "new goal" could be.

I got ready for bed, pulling out my fluffy red bedsheets and giving in to the softness of my bed. When my head hit the pillows it was almost impossible to keep awake.

Ash returned after ten minutes, dressed in red and black woollen pyjamas with a Darkrai printed on it. His cinammon scent wafted around the bedroom, leaving me in a sort of daze. Ash's raven hair was wet and messy and I watched him get into his bed, mesmerized.

"You're so cute, Ash."

To this comment, he shot me a deadly-looking glare.

"I'm not cute! You know how sad it is for a guy to be called cute? It sounds lame! For that, I'm not telling you my goal anymore. You won't take me seriously."

"Oh, come on, Ash. Don't be like that. I'm sorry."

"Nope. I'm not telling."

"I wanna know."

"Then don't call me cute! Ever!"

"Okay, okay fine. Just tell me, please?"

"Well," he began as he lied down on the same soft bed of his, "...I'm looking for something."

"Looking for something? Like what?"

He turned towards me, letting me gaze into those beautiful chocolate eyes. He was so cute. I didn't even know why I thought so or why he really was cute.

"Have you ever felt like you're missing something? Like, no matter what you do, there's always something that needs to be done first? Then you'd be happy?"

I thought about it for a while. "No, I don't think so Ash. I have everything I want, sadly. Everything except..."

"Except one thing, right?" He finished for me. "I don't know, I know I should be aiming to be a Pokémon Master but, I don't think I can if I don't find whatever's missing in my life. It's stupid. I don't even know what it is, and I'm trying to find it. I wanna be given some inner peace. It's been bothering me forever."

To be honest, I was gonna say I had everything except him. A best friend. Which was why I wanted to go through our make-up plan, so that I could be what they called _complete._

Was that what everyone like Daisy and Mrs Ketchum was trying to say? That I needed Ash to make me happy? I never really thought about it. I always considered myself a pretty happy person. Guess I could be happier if Ash was always right beside me. I probably sounded ridiculous, only realizing this now.

"Yeah, I understand. So you want me to help you find it, whatever IT is?" I offered.

"You're trying to baby me again. I can do it myself, but thank you."

Ash closed the lights, wanting to succumb to sleep.

"What are we doing tomorrow Gary?" He whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

"Tomorrow? Oh, according to our itinerary, we'd be ferrying over to Floe Island – the fourth island – to drop off our Pokémon in the Pokémon Paradise Park. It's like a really upgraded version of a Pokémon Day Care Center. Our friends would really appreciate it if they had fun too. After all, we did want them to relax as well. The service there is great so we could leave them there for a majority of our stay."

"Sounds like a great plan. Pikachu and the others would love that."

"Yeah, and then afterwards we'll be back here in Boon Island. We'll be going to that awesome amusement park on the top of the mountain."

Ash giggled in response.

"REALLY? Oh that's so cool! The last amusement park I visited was in Nimbasa with Elesa. Now I'm excited!" He beamed in the dark. That was enough for me to realize how much he loved amusement parks.

After minutes of talking in the dark, we said our final goodbyes before hitting the hay.

"Goodnight, Gary."

"Goodnight, Ashy."

.

.

.

.

.

Today was an awesome day. I had to say that it was a chance of a lifetime to be with Ash as of the moment and become friends with him again. I'm glad that I took the chance to make things right once more.

As tired as I was, I couldn't fall asleep just yet. I couldn't stop thinking about Ash and my plan of action. What was I gonna do about his birthday preparations? How could I show to him that I care about him? Would he like me to get closer to him again? And then there was also his own goal. A missing piece huh? It sounded pretty deep and important. I wanted to help, but I knew Ash, and Ash could find it on his own. I knew he could, and he would, someday.


	3. My Ideal Date

**(March 5, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 3)**

**Wassup peeps! ****ヽ****(´o****｀；****) ChiiRyeeBiee at your service! How's it going guys? Stressful lives? So much homework and demands from others? Hehe, lol me too. (****・****ω****・****)****ノ****Hope you are doing okay, however and whoever you are :)**

**Anyways, I ****_bestow unto you_**** (lol, "bestow unto you..." What is this? An immaculate legendary piece or something? Hehehehe, nope. NOOOPE. It's not like that at all. I'm sorry. (^_^;)) Chapter Three of Missing Piece, my, well, favourite chapter so far, I guess? It's pretty hasty, even with some edits here and there. Sorry for the wait!**

**ChiiRyeeBiee hereby claims that she does not own Pokémon, and that this text you are about to read has yaoi in it. She also wholeheartedly requests for feedback after your hopefully enjoyable "embarkation of reading" is over. Signed, some random scribbly thingamajig that is undecipherable. (Like seriously, my signature...omg.)**

**Yep. Doozoooooo~**

* * *

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter Three: My Ideal Date (Ash's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The first thought I had when I woke up was the fact that I was tucked in my blankets really comfortably. I was sleeping on my side and hugging one of my pillows, probably thinking it was Pikachu in my sleep. I hadn't been tucked in a bed since I was about nine. When you travelled a lot, beds were a rarity to sleep on. And I _loved_ being tucked in.

Gary must have done it for me. (I mean, who else could have, _right?_) Who knew the guy had the capability to be so kind-hearted, being the total jerk he was? He _really_ was trying hard to be nice, but goodness gracious me, he was treating me like a baby! What was it with him calling me cute and adorable? Just because he was a year older, it didn't mean that he should treat me like I was _so much younger_! But then again, he always did treat me like a baby when we were small. I remember him letting me get what I wanted and protecting me from any harm like the older brother I never had. At this age though, I could take care of myself!

I wonder why he decided to want to be friends with me again. I still remember the day we both started that stupid rivalry between us. He was always sore about the fact that I got more attention from his grandfather when it came to learning about Pokémon. As the grandson of Professor Oak, people had plenty of expectations from him, so I guess it was understandable to be jealous and irritated if some guy who was nothing special had more value to your very famous grandfather than you did. It just so happened that Professor Oak wanted to teach me more because Gary was _too proud; _thinking he knew _everything_ and _anything_ about Pokémon.

I remember showing him this really cool Bellsprout picture I drew, and he looked at me incredulously before ripping it to shreds. He said that I would never be a Pokémon Master because HE would become the best of all the rest. We were seven back then. Gary always wanted to be better than everyone, as if the fact that he was older than me meant that he was better than me. We both shared the same kind of dream – I wanted to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master, and he, well, he wanted to be the world's greatest EVERYTHING; to be acknowledged by _everyone_ and _anyone_ he came across with in his life.

As his best friend I understood what he was going through. Gary never really did have the loving attention of his parents since they passed away in a car crash. His sister Daisy and Professor Oak were the only ones caring for him. I was there for him too, but his heart was torn to pieces. He craved for attention, and mine wasn't _good enough_ for him. He wanted and needed _more_, and I couldn't do anything about it since I had no idea what to do. I was still so young.

Now don't look at me like that okay? I _know_ it was an irrational thing – letting our close friendship get torn apart with envy and pride. After that he always tormented me and treated me like a jerk, putting me down with names and vowing to become better than me at Pokémon training. He practically prevented me from reaching my lifelong dream of becoming a Pokémon Master for his own selfish ways! Why he did so I didn't know. I never wanted to become better than him. I always supported him with all my might. But I guess what was in the past was in the past. That was six years ago. Gary wanted to be friends with me again, and that was all that should matter. Right?

I couldn't tell him that he really broke my heart (in a friendship kind of way of course) when we stopped being friends. It made me feel really lonely, not having someone to confide in or be happy with when I achieved something incredible. I lost my best friend, and it was horrible. The loneliness I felt however was thankfully replaced by the constant presence of my Pokémon friends. I owed my Pokémon so much more than they probably believed I do.

As much as I should have been trusting Gary again, I really couldn't. I was afraid he would leave me broken once more. He would probably become friends with me, and then he would declare war or take something precious – I didn't really know what – away from me. I wouldn't let him do that to me, not ever. So I would let us become friends, slowly but surely, but I would still keep my distance. Just in case he decided to destroy me again. After all, Gary was supposed to be the selfish bastard he always was. Right? RIGHT? He only cared about himself.

Speaking of Gary... I turned over to see if he was sleeping but his blankets were already neatly done. Cursed early riser. What time was it? It looked a little too early for my liking. I peered through the tiny crack between the red curtains covering the window to the left wall of our room. It was still dark for goodness sake! I checked the time from the Pokétch I got from Sinnoh. It read six-thirty am. Where the heck was Gary at this time of day?

I didn't notice the note stuck on the bedroom door until I flicked on the light switch near my bed. Tch. Typical Gary. He could have just left a message in my Poké Gear! I always checked it every now and then. Plus, it was right next to me. I did remember giving him my Gear number the last time I met him in Sinnoh. Hmph.

Why did he make the note so faaaar awaaaay... I was too tired to get up! I had to see what it said though, so I left my bed unhappily and trudged over to the door to take the note.

_"Ashy-love,_

_I checked the time of opening for the Pokémon Paradise Park and it apparently opens up at seven am. Pikachu and Eevee are with me; so are the rest of our Pokémon. I'm taking them to Floe Island as soon as possible because there aren't many ferries to Floe Island today. I didn't wanna wake you up since you looked awfully tired. Sleep tight, I'll be back soon._

–_Gary-Berry _❤❤❤_"_

Seriously...? Are we playing the nickname game again? Ashy-love was a terrible pet name! So was Gary-Berry, but I only came up with that to rile him up. He even ended the note with hearts! How lame was that?

Gary was a big jerk. A stupid big jerk who loved being annoying. Stupid annoying hateable big jerk.

I wanted to see this Pokémon Paradise Park too! I didn't even get to say goodbye to Pikachu and Charizard and all my other Pokémon friends... And what time did he get up? Farr, it was still so early. It was nice though, how considerate he was being towards me: tucking me in and letting me sleep soundly. Why couldn't he be kind to me like that instead of continuously being a jerk? I would have liked him even more.

I figured that I wouldn't be able to do much at six-thirty am so I went back to sleep, sadly untucked in my bed.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Ashy... Wake up." I heard a faint voice coming from a figure to my right. The figure was also nudging me gently, much to my annoyance.

"Goooooo awaaaay. I w-wanna sleeeeep." I mumbled, turning the other way in hopes to fall back asleep. I was still _so tired_. Couldn't someone get their decent amount of sleep?

"It's nine am, sleepy-head. I'm surprised you could carry on sleeping for at least fourteen hours."

I threw a pillow at the figure. Stupid jerk. "I could sleep forever if I wanted to, Gary-BERRY..." I seethed, getting up groggily. Looking around the brightly lit bedroom I saw that the red curtains were drawn out neatly to the edges of the window; the sunlight shining strongly through the transparent glass.

"Using my given nickname again, are you Ashy-love? I see you've read my beautifully hand-written note. Anyway, you have to get changed quickly. We'll catch breakfast on the way; you don't wanna be late to the amusement park, do you? There'll be crowds so we gotta get there early to make the most of it." The emerald-eyed boy explained, ruffling my hair before he went off to pack his things for the day. Why that jerk...! Who gave him the right to mess up my hair?!

Gary was dressed in his usual black collared shirt, his purple charm necklace hanging down from around his neck. He was also wearing creaseless denim jeans that looked soft to the touch. The older boy's hair was gelled and spiked like usual; his vanilla scent wafting faintly in the air. He still didn't get over that vanilla fabric conditioner complex, I noticed.

I did as I was told, grabbing my casual clothing folded at the top of my trolley bag before going off to the bathroom. Before I knew it, we were leaving our hotel room after packing, rushing towards the elevator and heading out of the inn. It was about as hot as a sauna room outside and at nine am, there weren't many people out and about like Gary predicted.

"Pancakes, pizzas, or burgers? Your pick." The Pokémon Researcher questioned me, his eyes glued on the thick guidebook he was holding.

"Burgers, of course. You know how much I love burgers." I decided without needing the time to think.

"There's a cheeseburger shack just ahead of us to the right. Come, follow me!" Gary grabbed my hand, pulling me gently at the direction he was going. Correction: he was slightly _dragging_ me. My legs couldn't really keep up with his fast pace.

"Gaaaary! Slow down!"

He turned around briefly to check if I was okay. "Sorry Ashy..." After a few minutes we both came to a halt, stopping in front of this awesome-looking yet small burger shack.

Gary and I both ordered the same thing: my favourite chilli cheeseburger combo, complete with curly fries and apple and blackcurrant juice. I was actually surprised they had chilli cheeseburgers! I was ecstatic! Cheeseburgers for breakfast sounded absurd, but it was my favourite. No one could argue with that! I had to order a few extra combos since one cheeseburger was certainly not enough to fill me up. If Pikachu were with me, both of us would have been jumping up and down for joy.

Aww... My Pikachu... I missed him already...

We left quickly, ordering our food on takeaway so we could eat on the way.

Getting to the amusement park was harder than I thought. It was subjected on a high mountain, so walking was _definitely_ not an option. Gary and I had to find a gondola stop which would take us right on top of the tree-filled mountain and to the amusement park. The gondolas didn't look very grand – they were painted an icky dark green colour and horizontal yellow stripes ran through it. They weren't very big either. One gondola would have only fit about three people since they looked so narrow.

"Wow. The view up here is really cool!" I pointed out in between bites of my delicious breakfast. I could see the tiny town shrinking below as we ascended higher up to our destination. There was an abundance of blue in my line of sight – the colour of sea and sky respectively, and I could barely see the water rippling out before they came crashing down as waves into shore.

Pausing to eat my lovely-tasting burger I decided to take out a handy digital camera from my small green backpack of things. I just had to take photographs of such beautiful scenery and whatever we were going to do in the amusement park, of course. They would serve as mementos for the memories I could leave behind in this place.

"Wait 'till you see the view up in the ferris wheel! You'll be in even more awe, Ashy." Gary snapped smartly.

"Have you been to the amusement park before, Gary?"

"No I haven't, but I've read about it in pamphlets and brochures. The Boon Island Amusement Park is second to best compared to Nimbasa City's own amusement park. It's one of the main reasons tourists love visiting the Sevii Islands. Boon Island is a really well-known island, believe it or not."

That was odd. If the amusement park was so famous, why haven't I heard about it? Then again, I only really concentrated on Pokémon battling back then to think about anything else. I always loved the carnivals and circus shows that came to Pallet when I was little. I rarely got the chance to visit any amusement parks, but I loved them the most nonetheless. They were one of my favourite places, next to gyms and Pokémon Leagues. Amusement parks had many food stalls and fun rides that you could enjoy all over and over again. Going to one made you remember that it didn't matter how old you got; you were never too old to have any fun.

The next few minutes in the gondola were awkward and silent. I quietly kept to myself, eating more of my cheeseburgers and looking out at the scenery. I thought about the goal I had set for myself, and how I'd be back to trying to achieve it after this holiday with Gary was over. All I knew was that I wanted to find what was I was lacking, and I wouldn't stop travelling until I found it. Weird huh, how desperate I was to follow through with this one goal. I personally thought it was stupid, but I. Just. Couldn't. Leave. It. Alone. There was something I needed; something I wanted but I didn't know what it was! It wasn't even as inspiring or important as becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master. It may have been something related to Pokémon, but I didn't really know. I just had to keep moving, keep going until I found this one missing piece.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Gary interrupted me from contemplating any more when he said we'd arrived at the top of the mountain. There was thankfully a pathway to the amusement park, despite the abundance of trees and bushes and whatnot. Why did they have to make the amusement park on top of the mountain? There could have been plenty of space at the bottom of the island. Sheesh.

It was at least ten-eighteen am when we got to the amusement park. My first impression? Colourful, huge, full of rides, spectacular, enjoyable, and did I mention _full of rides?_ I could see thrill rides and roller coasters twisting and turning in different, undecipherable directions. Oh oh oh oh! Was that a haunted house? I had to mentally remind myself never to go in THAT. I was a scaredy cat at heart so heart-attack inducing places were a definite no-no. I could see balloons everywhere and food stalls and yes, your typical ferris wheel and carousel ideally next to each other. People were already scattered around the place, so it was a good thing we got here early otherwise there would be more lines to wait in.

I was still gawking like a deprived child at the wondrous place that was the amusement park, leaving me unaware that Gary had already paid at the entrance fee and had gotten us those wristbands we were required to wear at all times. We went through this twisty, barred entrance thing much like those located at airports after our barcodes have been scanned by security.

"What do you want to go on first?" The brunette asked kindly to my left, putting his arm around my shoulder yet again. This bonding thing was really, _really_ weird.

"Hmm... let's see..." I scanned my surroundings carefully and slowly before giving an answer. "Oh! Oh! Look, there Gary! Let's go over there!" I cried, pointing at a water gun stall. He did ask me, and I did answer him. How childish of me to pick a water gun stall first.

Taking his hand I pulled him to the stall because he was walking so slowly. We paid the weird-looking man who ran the stall and got ready to aim at these flame-shaped targets. Typically enough, the water gun represented a Squirtle. Gary took his gun and we started shooting, competitively aiming at the fire target to get this firetruck to reach the "house".

I ended up winning a really cool miniature-sized Bulbasaur plushie for reaching the house first. Such a girly prize, but I loved it nevertheless. I was so happy about winning and I felt like a child again! Gary still had his backpack of things and I also had mine, so we went off to drop our stuff at a baggage claim before going off to the next ride or stall or whatever.

"Sheesh, Ash. I thought you would have picked something more interesting. My pick now, whether you like it or not." Gary smirked a little evilly.

We were heading in the direction of the intimidating, freaky-looking haunted house when it hit me. NO. No, no, no, no, I was not going in THERE. Why did I have to go to such an awesome amusement park with a sadistic jerk like Gary?! He wouldn't DARE force me to go there!

I guessed right. Gary held the same hand I used to pull him towards the water gun stall and got me to line up next to him in front of the scary, uninviting, life-diminishing, haunted house. I resisted of course, wanting to run away at that very moment as I squirmed and twisted from his deathly grip on my hand. I wish haunted houses were BANNED! Who even created the idea of this abomination?

"What's wrong, Ashy-love? You scared?" He teased, putting on this despicable grimace that I wanted to destroy inevitably.

"I'm not going in THERE, Gary! I'm not even gonna deny that I'm scared! The last time I went inside a haunted house, my soul literally jumped out of my body! LITERALLY!" I wailed loudly, not caring about the many people who were looking at me.

"You're sixteen years old and you're scared of a haunted house? How baby-like of you."

"Why you evil–! I'm not a BABY! I just hate scary things! Can't you understand that?"

The emerald-eyed boy pouted at me sadly. "You're no fun, Ashy. Heh, we're still gonna go you know. We're already in line." He grinned deviously, squeezing my hand that he still held.

"Friends don't force other friends to do something they don't want to!" I retaliated at Gary, pulling my hand out of his grip. I wanted to leave!

Unfortunately the line was too crowded and too far into the spooky, unwanted, crazy haunted house that I couldn't get out of it. I had no choice but to stay with Gary. He was gonna pay for it, I swear! Why did people even like this place?

Giggles from behind me caught my attention and I couldn't help but notice this annoying bunch of girls staring at Gary. Uugh. Cringe of doom. They were ogling at him to my disgust, probably wondering and whispering amongst themselves about the hot, beautiful brunette and his pathetic, chicken raven-haired friend. Pfft. This guy? They thought _this guy _was amazing? Yeah right, they'd be better off with Brock or Cilan than this excuse of a person standing next to me. At least Brock was NICE.

When it was our turn to enter the abomination, I held onto Gary for dear life. There were all these little sounds and creaks that made me jump and yelp pathetically. I couldn't even see anything since it was so dark! As we navigated our way through the so called "house", a Banette doll glowering in green popped in front of our faces out of nowhere.

"Kyaaaaaaa! Helpppp! I hate Banette!" I screamed, squeezing his arm until its blood circulation was almost cut off.

"Ash! You're hurting me!" My jerk of a friend complained unpleasantly.

"Hmmph! Serves you right for bringing me in here! Can we leave now?" I heard another creaking door and felt a strange tugging at my ankle.

"Lemme gooo! Raaaaaaaaahhhhh!" I yelled, running away frantically before hitting a wall somewhere with a big _thump_, and hard.

OWWWW! That hurt!

"Hey Ash, where are you?" That so-called friend of mine called out, walking around and kicking me in the process.

"OI! Watch it you big meanie!" I scrambled to my feet, holding my arms out to regain my balance. A hand reached out to touch my arm, which I instinctively reacted to with a loud scream.

"Woah woah woah there, Ash! It's alright. It's just me here, Ashy. Come here." He hushed reassuringly, pulling me into a protective hug.

I probably would have needed a Gyarados to Hyper Beam my extremely pathetic self at that moment. Bless my poor soul I was still alive.

Gary actually didn't mind me being so clingy and weird. He should have expected it, that damn jerk he was. He tried to calm me down by wrapping his arms around me in a tighter embrace.

"I'm here, Ashy. It's okay." He whispered soundly. We stayed in that position for a while, with Gary just hugging me, never wanting to let go.

NO NO NO NO NO NO.

"You can lemme go now, you big jerk." I pushed the brunette away with all my might, feeling utterly disturbed. What was THAT all about?

The emerald-eyed boy moved even further away from me, attempting to pretend nothing just happened between us. "You fine now? The way out's close, I'm pretty sure."

It was still so dark that I couldn't see anything. I remember tripping over something, causing me to fall over onto the ground. Suddenly I heard an unusual girl's scream, which made me yelp in the highest octave I could hit.

"Garyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Help!"

I started sobbing, scared for my life. It wasn't real. Everything around me was all make-believe. For Arceus' sake, whyyy?

The shock factor I've been dealt with was so great that it was at that moment that I felt an almost wave of oblivion washing over me. Like, I've been terrified to my wit's end that I couldn't be scared of anything any further. I felt strong arms pulling me up to my feet. Before I knew it, I was being led out of the awful place, light finally shining down on me again.

"I'm sorry Ashy, are all right?"

It took me a while to recover from the shock I felt going inside that cursed place. I hated haunted houses, and after such a stupid event I hated them EVEN MORE. I was so out of character, I even shed tears out of pure fear! I was such a humiliation...

Crossing my arms angrily, I turned my back towards the Pokémon Researcher so that I wouldn't be able to see any hateable expressions on his face that he probably tried so hard to conceal.

"Do I look all right to you? Does my face show you any hints of me being "all right"?! I'm glad my guts didn't disappear, you big jerk, not that I had any to begin with!"

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay? Look– hey–! Look at me Ashy. I'm sorry, I won't take you there anymore, all right? I'm sorry..." He apologized desperately.

"What is wrong with you? Sheesh! You're not sorry! You dragged me there on purpose! I can't believe that seeing me in terror is your idea of fun! I hate you!"

"Okay, okay. Fine, I did drag you there, but you're all okay now and you will be, right? I'll make it up to you. You get to pick every place we go to from now on. That sound fair to you?" Gary suggested meekly.

It sounded fair enough, but he still owed me greatly for forcing me into that stupid excuse of a house or attraction or whatever.

"Fine. Let's go to the bumper cars next then!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The next few rides were a blast. When I had the chance, I took some photographs of the rides we went on, also including the silly poses and faces Gary and I made when our photos were taken by one another or by someone else.

He and I went on the bumper cars at least three times, always crashing head on to each other. No matter how hard I tried to escape him he always caught up to me to hit me. Truly despicable.

After that we went to a swirling teacup ride, which went around and around so fast that it made my head spin awfully. I had to rest for a while before we proceeded to riding the Rayquaza roller coaster ride, where we sang and shouted Pokémon names like two mad scientists meeting a legendary Pokémon for the first time. I was having a great time with Gary so far, exempting the spooky haunted house incident of course. I hadn't had so much fun with him in years! I forgot it was even possible, seeing as how we practically disliked each other for a long time. Gary was my friend though. He may have been a stupid jerk but he was still my friend. I guess he always was.

As childish as it sounded, I forced the so-called Viridian City Gym Leader to hop on this Girafarig carousel with me. He wasn't pleased one bit – a seventeen year old on a kid's ride? If there were people in here who knew him, seeing him on the lovely carousel was enough to ruin his reputation for a while. I did notice more girls melt in the distance for having seen Gary in such a ride. His fault for dragging me into the haunted house.

Gary and I stopped for a fast lunch break, roaming around the amusement park to find the food court. There were so many people, it was almost impossible to find a table. He ordered us two servings of curry rice with a salad side dish and one jumbo-sized chocolate milkshake.

"Thanks for the food, Gary. But why'd you get only one milkshake? Where's my one? Can you even finish that; that drink's super large!" I pointed at the cup, which was at least thirty centimeters high.

"We're sharing. You don't mind, do you?" He prompted, inserting two straws into the drink before sitting down and helping himself to his lunch. What a weirdo.

We ate silently, neither one acknowledging the other's presence. I also finished before he could, wanting to drink something right away. Oddly enough Gary and I both reached out for the milkshake, making awkward eye contact afterwards.

"Why'd you have to buy only one? Buying two isn't that expensive, you know! You don't think sometimes, do you Gary?" I sighed disappointedly, giving him the drink after finishing with it.

"Says the guy who left his wallet in the hotel room. You should be more prepared instead of blaming me! Sharing IS caring, like they say." He countered. He sipped up all the milkshake and ushered me to get ready for more rides.

"You were the one who dragged me out of the room without giving me enough time to pack! Well, who cares? It doesn't matter, and I wanna go ride something now. The racing karts are up next and I'll definitely beat you, Gary-BERRY!" I shouted, sprinting towards the direction of the karts. Gary followed me with the same determination to win, blowing a raspberry before overtaking me to get there.

"Not if I could help it, Ashy-love!"

The racing kart course was about two hundred meters and it went on for two whole laps. I beat Gary twice all way around, but he sadly beat me the next three times we went on them again.

The Showering Sudowoodo log ride and the Spinning Forretress Water Rapids were next on my list. They were so much fun! We both yelled "Yahoo!" when the log was going downwards, ready for a gigantic splash at the end of the ride. At the rapids, I persuaded Gary to sit at the seat which, from mere inspection anyway, always got showered down by an incoming waterfall. The look on his face when the waterfall rushed down on him was priceless! I luckily got to capture it on camera and he asked me to delete it a thousand times. He was glaring at me with this, "I hate you" kind of look and I just kept on laughing at him; his clothes soggy and dripping. I only got partially wet. He was sadly soaking.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Gary had to change out of his wet clothes before we went on to our next activity. He had a red and black coloured shirt this time, wearing maroon jeans to accompany it. He also wore his purple charm necklace as always.

"Seriously? You still styled your hair? No wonder you took long!" I elbowed him gently in the arm.

"You wouldn't understand how important it is to look good, Ashy-love."

"You look fine Gary, styled hair or unstyled hair. Every girl or guy would agree to that. Hmm, red and black again huh? You're becoming like me." I took his hand, pulling him towards a stall that caught my eye while I was waiting for him. I checked my Pokétch for the current time. Five forty-eight pm. Wow, time definitely flew fast when you were having fun.

The brunette arrogantly spoke up as we approached the orange-coloured stall. "Oh really? You always wear blue and black or white shirts, not red. But what do YOU think about ME, hmm? Do I look good to you?" On with the teasing again. Gosh.

"No. I hate you. You're ugly to me, Gary. No matter what they say."

"Aww, why so mean? You think I look ugly? That's unfair, seeing as how I think you look absolutely ador–"

"Nope! Don't you dare say it!"

He chuckled at me in a mocking tone.

The stall we were standing in front of had a game we could play which was kind of like basketball, only you had to shoot this soft Pokéball through a narrow-looking hoop. I never was good at any sports when I went to school for a brief moment. My talents lied directly in Pokémon battling. I always wanted to try this game though, and I'd seen people win awesome things from stalls like these. There were a number of prizes hanging to the left and right of the hoop: some of them being Pokéball stickers and seals, most of them being more cuddly plush toy dolls of Pokémon. Being a sixteen year old boy stereotypically meant that plush toys were girly and lame, but I had a soft spot for them. I had my eye on this adorable pillow-sized Pikachu plushie, holding a pink heart which had the words "I love Chuu!" embroidered on it in a sophisticated green stitch.

"You seriously want to play THAT game? You'll win nothing but girly stuff!" The gym leader pointed out in disapproval.

"Who said I had to win a prize?"

He narrowed his eyes on me, as if what I just said was the most scandalous lie ever.

"Why play if you won't win? It's just like Pokémon battling, Ash."

"Well I wanna play, and maybe I do want a prize, so if you don't want to play, then leave me alone." Honestly, how hard could that have been?

He stayed beside me, watching me fail at the miserable game. It was such a small hoop, and it was so far away, and my pride just kept shattering every time I missed a shot. I was allowed eight tries at the hoop and I missed them all. Pathetic.

The older boy next to me was trying hard not to laugh at my ridiculous attempt in sport.

I growled at the brunette jerk. "Tch! Like you could do better!"

He merely smirked back, acting in a meek yet condescending way.

"Is that a challenge? If it is, then I accept." Paying the old lady at the stall before taking his stance directly in front of the distant hoop, he then took a tiny Pokéball in his hands and threw it gracefully in the air.

It went through the damn hoop.

Why the heck was Gary so talented at everything! He just rubbed in how extremely pathetic I was in my face. One out of eight shots and he shot it incredibly too. That was like defying the fields of probability!

The kind old lady let Gary choose whatever girly thing he wanted as a prize. I didn't want to see any more of that insulting face of his so I walked away disappointedly, heading for the ferris wheel that he and I hadn't ridden on yet.

Who needed that jerk, anyway? He was always trying to beat me at everything, even at something as trivial as that Pokéball shooting game. Jerk.

I was so busy kicking the hard cement with my laced-up shoes that I was startled when the same Pikachu plush toy I wanted was shoved in front of my face. Up close the doll was even more adorable... An exact replica of my beautiful Pikachu. He'd love it.

Gary urged me to take the doll off his arms, looking away in the distance to avoid eye contact.

"It's yours. I thought you would like it soo..." His words trailed off, assuming that I already knew what he was going to say next. My cheeks burned up into a colour darker than the pink heart my new Pikachu plush toy was holding.

I loved it. But I would never, ever tell him that.

Lying obviously, I stuttered, "Err... thanks... But you know I'm not into plush toys. I'm not a girl."

"Yeah but... You couldn't sleep with Pikachu and, well, now you have a plush toy of him right? Pikachu would like it too."

.

.

.

Without having any say to it, the awkwardness between us returned. Like I needed to feel more like a fool and now I don't even know what to say. People were even staring and gossiping, and more girls continued to drool over the supposedly wondrous being that was Gary.

How eye-rolling.

"So... I'm heading to the ferris wheel, Gary. You wanna go? It's the only ride we haven't been on yet. We can head home afterwards to eat dinner right? It's getting kind of late."

Gary nodded in reply. "Sure thing, Ash. The sun's setting real soon too. We may be able to catch the sunset and some fireworks."

"Fireworks? There's gonna be some fireworks?"

"Every Saturday night at Boon Island. I've seen photos from the brochures and online. They're the best ever. Come on, let's go!" Gary held my hand and we both ran towards the ferris wheel line.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The ferris wheel line was really long. There were, to no surprise, a group of couples in the line; boyfriends and girlfriends holding hands and making kissy faces at each other as they awaited their turn to board the ride. It seemed as if the ride became more alive at this time of day, since the sun was setting and the fireworks would start in a few minutes.

Girls were still giggling to themselves from behind us. I could hear them squealing loudly about the "totally cute boy couple, the hot one with chocolate hair and the cute one holding a Pikachu doll" going to the ferris wheel. What in the world were they rambling on about? Gary and I were just friends. Girls were definitely one of the most foreign species ever.

Fairly soon we were boarding the extravagant ferris wheel ride. It was designed better than the icky green gondola; painted abstractly with the colours of the rainbow and it had more room inside. At six thirty-five pm the moon was up in the navy blue sky, illuminating the island with its cool white brightness. Colourful but tiny lights were scattered all over the bottom of the view. The ferris wheel continued to go up, and up, and up, until we were finally at the very top of the island. Just, wow. There were no words to describe how beautiful the scenery looked.

I was sitting in between Gary and my Pikachu plush toy. Leaning over on the doll, I tried to get as far away from Gary as possible without making it seem obvious.

"It's so beautiful up here. You were right Gary."

He merely shrugged in reply beside me. "Aren't I always right?"

Hmph. He'd never be able to change that gloating personality of his.

Silence loomed between us afterwards as both the gym leader and I admired the fireworks that came on, covering the night sky with multiple and vibrant colours of violet and orange and red. Green, blue and yellow splashed over the previous fireworks, sparkling intermittently to our amazement. There wasn't much conversation up in the ride as we were in so much awe and there wasn't anything worthy to say. What was worth it to do though was my taking at least a hundred photos of the incredibly memorable sight.

"So, uhh... Ash... How's Misty and her Pokémon doing?" The Pokémon Researcher began in a really quiet voice.

"They're great. We've been contacting each other every now and then, seeing how one another's doing. Misty's ranking up to become the world's greatest water Pokémon Master."

"I see... How about May and Dawn?"

"May's been travelling everywhere, to the ends of the earth even. Dawn and her have been competing in contests all over Sinnoh and Hoenn repetitively." I answered bluntly.

"Iris?"

"Iris is fine. She's been flying to places all over, promoting the awesomeness of Dragon Pokémon."

A silence made its presence known for a while before I asked him my own question.

"That's not what you wanted to know was it? What do you want, Gary?"

He cleared his throat before speaking up again. "I was just wondering if you were with someone... Ridiculous, I know. I was just curious."

I laughed sheepishly at the gym leader. He wanted to know if I was in a relationship? Haha, why was that, I wonder?

"No, I'm not. I'm too busy chasing my goals. Girls are gonna hold me back from my dreams. Maybe after I've accomplished my goal, I'll settle down and find one. Just maybe."

Shrugging, he muttered silently, "Thought so. I don't have a girlfriend either. Never did, actually." The brunette scratched the back of his head, continuously staring out at the breathtaking view.

"Really? How come? You're... You're freaking Gary Oak!"

Seriously! He was Gary Oak! THE one and only Gary Oak! He should have had girls piling up at his feet, worshipping him to no end. Or maybe not in that way... But he should at least have had a girlfriend right?

"Girls are a bother, like you said. Always clingy and demanding. Some of the girls who stuck by me in the past were only after my reputation and inheritance and good looks. They never did like me for who I was. Plus I haven't found someone special yet. And even if I did, I don't know how to love anyone. It wouldn't work at all."

What? But Gary loved people's attention. He thrived on people talking about him and praising him. Hearing him talk about girls not liking him for who he was was quite bewildering for me, as was his inability to love anyone because he was hardly exposed to such a feeling. He was obviously as human as I was but no one would ever believe that the talented and perfect and charming Gym Leader sitting beside me was secretly flawed with traumatizing scars, scars that were wholly impossible to heal.

We exited the ride immediately once we were back at the ground. Gary walked ahead of me and I carried on hugging my Pikachu plush toy, trying to catch up to him.

"We'll just grab our things from the baggage claim area and we'll leave soon to eat dinner okay, Ashy?" The brunette turned to me, waiting for an answer.

"Okay. What's for dinner?"

He smiled at me in a heartwarmingly. I'd never seen Gary smile like that. He looked better smiling than smirking.

"You'll see, Ashy-love. I'll cook for you, mmkay?"

Within several minutes, we passed by the baggage claim area to get our stored backpacks and left the amusement park, memories of the day playing over and over again in my mind. It may have been quite unpredictable and out of the ordinary, but that was the most fun day I have ever had. With Gary nonetheless.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"What are you making Gary-Berryy?" I curiously enquired, sitting on one of the red fluffy sofas lazily while I chewed on some pretzels I got from the cupboard. We arrived in our hotel room just a few minutes ago, exhausted from the day's activity. The brunette was standing in front of the small kitchenette and I was watching television, flicking through channels to find a decent movie to view.

"Spaghetti. You like spaghetti, right Ashy-love?" He cooed back aggravatingly. From behind me I could hear some pots boiling and the excessive chopping of ingredients. The sweet scent of tomato sauce also filled the kitchen and lounge in due time.

"Hey, Gary... Gary, can we eat in front of the television? Randy the Poké Hero is on!" I exclaimed giddily after he finished cooking. I missed watching television! I travelled so much I missed an entire ten seasons of my once favourite show. I was sure that it was Gary's favourite show too, since we used to watch it during sleepovers in each other's house. Such good times... I couldn't believe the show was still ongoing after all these years!

The emerald-eyed boy passed me a bowlful of steaming spaghetti before taking a seat beside me. "I can't believe you still like this show. You're such a baby." He said as he ate his spaghetti, green eyes glued to the screen.

I nudged him with my shoulder, just soft enough so that he wouldn't spill his dinner. "Hey, you used to like it too! And I told you already, I'm not a BABY! I just missed watching this show, that's all. Don't YOU still like it?"

"We were seven back then. I'm freaking seventeen. I watch the news and Pokémon research programs at this age."

I shoved spaghetti in my mouth and munched hungrily while still watching my favourite cartoon. The hero, Randy, was currently rescuing a baby Phanpy from some evil Magmar that kidnapped it from its nest.

The dining table was thankfully an arm's distance away from the sofa so I placed the empty bowl just on top of it without having to get out of my seat. The older boy did the same when he finished his bowlful of food. I actually had a larger bowl of food compared to Gary's, but I still finished dinner earlier than the brunette. I just loved eating that much, and I didn't know the guy could cook! The spaghetti was really delicious.

"You're boring, Gary. All work and no fun. No wonder you get baggy eyes."

Gary glared at me like a deadly-looking Steelix. "You're no fun either, Ashy-love. You couldn't even survive a baby haunted house."

Thus our verbal battle began once more. He insulted me to no limit that I mindlessly tackled him on the couch, pinning him down by his arms so he couldn't escape. He tried kicking his legs out but he failed at getting me off of him. I was actually pretty strong.

Looking down on the brunette was a rare thing to do. He was always so high and mighty and above everyone and no one could degrade him, not even the most Elite Trainer in the entire universe. His emerald orbs were staring directly into mine, nervously sparkling in defeat.

"Who's the baby now, Gary-Berry? I pinned ya."

"Get off me, Ashy."

"No."

"Then I'll make you get off."

"Go ahead, make me." I challenged directly. At first I thought he was just going to stare at me but then his eyes widened suddenly, looking somewhere behind me.

"Ash... There's... there's a Shuppet behind you!"

"Huh? A Shuppet? Where? AAAH don't make it touch me! Noooo!" I yelled worriedly, jumping off him and cowering at the other side of the sofa.

The gym leader was chuckling at me mockingly.

"You're so gullible, Ash." He concluded, ruffling my hair yet again. He got up from couch hastily and took our dinner bowls to the sink for cleaning.

It took me a few seconds to realize the Pokémon Researcher was kidding around.

"You JERK!" I couldn't believe I fell for that! Begrudgingly I went back to watching my favourite cartoon when I realized the show has already ended.

"Great! I missed my show! You suck, Gary."

"Hmph."

.

.

.

I didn't really understand why and how I had such a rocky and weird relationship with the older boy. We were friends. Correction: we were childhood friends. Nope, that still wasn't it. Okay, so we were childhood BEST friends, but we were also rivals. Enemies who mocked and put each other down, but at the same time pushed one another to become better than we were. Gary was my friend. My rival. An important person. I liked and hated him at the same time, and wished he could both be less arrogant and yet never change at the same time.

My eyes started getting strained from watching some random tv program and my body was going limp. I couldn't hold back sleep anymore, so I just lied down on the soft red sofa, sinking into an unconscious state of happiness while hugging my Pikachu plushie. May I dream about becoming friends with the person I was on a holiday with, and dream that everything between us would be the way it was once again.


	4. On Top Of The World

**(March 6, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 4)**

**(o****Дo****)****ﾉ ****Hey! ChiiRyeeBiee here. Chapter Four of Missing Piece, finally edited and ready for take-off!**

**I'm still unsure of this story's flight, however. I've got a rough idea, so that's a little reassuring. Don't worry. I'd definitely finish it now that I've got it up and running :3 It'll take forever though AHAHAHAHA.**

**Hmm... Now onto the warnings, and just some things in general... Let me reiterate that this is yaoi, and it is definitely an AU so while it follows some canon aspects, it's not entirely the same. The date I used for Ash's birthday is August eight, because (from my long-term memory and research skills anyway) that's apparently Red's birthday. Err, there's still some cliché because I'm weird, and much denials and cluelessness. Asdfghjkl.**

**Leave me a review onegai to tell me what I should improve or if you liked it :D I love hearing people's responses!**

**Well, I'll leave ya to it. Thanks much for reading this, and enjoy! *skips off to the land of Palletshipping***

* * *

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter 4: On Top of the World (Gary's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Ash fell asleep on the couch.

I finished doing the dishes when I walked over to where he was, only to see him peacefully sleeping like a saint. _Aww, so cute._ He was even cuddling with the Pikachu plushie I gave him – short, tanned arms wrapped around the soft toy as protectively as they could. He'd never admit it to anyone but I knew Ashy was a sucker for plush toys, even at his age.

Such an innocent sight. He looked completely helpless and off-guard; so trusting of his surroundings. If I stood there staring at him any longer, I may have been tempted to jolt him awake for leaving me with all the kitchenwork. Instead I decided to pick him up gently in my arms and take him to his bed for more peaceful sleeping.

Ash was the deepest sleeper I know. Once his head hit the pillow, there was no chance of waking him up for another ten or so hours, unless one had nothing better to do but try. And try I did. I attempted to pry off his Pikachu so I could carry him without the risk of dropping him, but He. Refused. To. Let. It. Go. He even unconsciously slapped my arms out of the way before cocooning himself tightly, purring (_Purring?!_ I know, my thoughts exactly.) contentedly to himself.

Okay, I guess he won this round. Stalking towards our bedroom, I retrieved a polyester blanket from the closet to drape over him for the night. For such a small guy, he could emit one heck of a loud snore, audible from the bedroom despite our distant proximity. I'm surprised I slept through that last night! Ash's Bulbasaur plushie sat on his bed where he abandoned it along with his day bag, so I took it with me as well, knowing that the more plush toys cuddling with the ravenette, the more warmth and comfortable sleep there would be for _wittle Ashy._

"Goodnight Ashy-love. Have sweet dreams, mmkay?" I whispered into the Pikachu Trainer's ear, brushing off silky raven strands covering his young, angelic face. He must have been so exhausted; repetitively riding every thrill ride in the amusement park over and over _and over_ again. At least now he'd get some decent rest, but those limbs would be sore come morning.

I took a moment to just stand there, watching his chest rise and fall while he snored, admiring the way he nuzzled into his blankets and plush toys like a growing newborn. Here he was, my best friend – finally in front of me again, us hanging out like we used to as children. I hope he'd be alright in this room without me. I'd stay with him the whole night but he's a big boy now, not to mention he's been travelling with no one but himself and his Pokémon for the past ten months. No monsters under the bed or snack-stealing creatures would scare him away. Still, I couldn't help but worry. Ten years of distance could do that to you, you know? On the other hand, I guess he's been right all this time. I really have been babying him too much.

Ash and I had an awesome day. It was sort of like a date, except it wasn't because_ pfft, yeah right. _I tried not to be too cruel at his being scared in the haunted house, but then he got back at me by dragging me into this girly carousel and guffawing at my predicament after those cashmere-ruining wet rides. The rollercoasters and fireworks weren't the only highlights of our day, as I somehow found out how much I missed being around the younger boy. He was fun to be with, to talk to, to annoy. And he was so cute when he got angry, like an infuriated Jigglypuff – bloated baby fat filling his cheeks accompanied by burning sienna eyes, shining with exasperation like polished volcanic glass. It was hard to take him seriously with such a cutesy, funny face. Heck, he was s_till cute_ even when he wasn't angry at me.

It didn't take a genius to figure that Ash had his guard up and he couldn't trust me with the friendship I was trying to earn from him just yet. I knew he didn't want me in his life, that I was merely a _poor excuse of a companion_ to escape reality for a moment. I was trying not to revert to our past disputations, and it wasn't exactly easy, for I knew I was walking on burning coal and one big slip up could mean the end of this thing we have going on. I really did want to become friends with him again. Old habits die hard, like they said, but I'd keep trying, nevertheless. Ash was very special and very important to me. This holiday just couldn't, and shouldn't end in flames.

After minutes of tucking in the hazel-eyed teen warmly with his Pikachu and Bulbasaur dolls beside him, I changed into pyjamas and hopped into my own fluffy bed. Ash's birthday was the day after tomorrow. I've been thinking about it the whole day and I had a pretty rough idea of what to do for him. I had to remind myself to prepare every arrangement tomorrow, including a well-treasured gift for him that I've been keeping forever. I hope he would like it, and I'd make sure it was the best birthday he'd ever have, planned by none other than his childhood best friend.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

As always, I woke up at such an ungodly hour. Five am and I couldn't even sleep back. I was always uncomfortable with sleeping and I had no idea why. It was still really dark outside. Rather than waste precious time, I decided to get up and make the most of today since I couldn't sleep back anyway. Now would be a good time to start planning Ashy's birthday for tomorrow while he was still snoozing.

Ash carried on sleeping soundly at the sofa I left him on, probably dreaming about defeating every trainer in the upcoming Indigo Conference Tournament. He was, however, half-draped over it, just itching to fall off with one more nudge. I could also hear him mumble incoherent words, ranting about using Water Pulse on a Growlithe or something. Shaking my head at the absurdity that was Ash's sleeping patterns, I re-tucked the hazel-eyed boy in and left for the bathroom to shower, inwardly hoping he'd still be asleep by the time I finished my birthday planning.

"First things first... I should get cake ingredients, apple juice, and lots of burger buns... That guy's gonna want to eat a ton of food." I noted down important information into my Poké Gear while I made my way out of the hotel room for a stroll. Surely there were no shops open at six fifteen in the morning, but it didn't stop me from going out likewise. There weren't much preferable supplies in a faraway island like Boon Island either, so I had to forage what I could when they do open.

I dialled the number of my Grandpa's Poké Lab as I approached the thankfully open Boon Island Pokémon Center. After a few patient rings his assistant Tracey picked up and answered rather sleepily.

"Hello...? This is Professor Oak's Lab, how may I help you?" muttered Tracey in a monotonous voice. I probably called in too early...

"Hey, Trace. It's Gary here. How are you?"

"Oh! Gary! Hey, man! I'm doing fine, how about you?"

"I'm good, thanks. Is Gramps awake?"

"Err... yeah! Professor Oak's up. He's in the lounge having some of his morning coffee. Wanna talk to him?" The Pokémon Watcher informed in a slightly happier mood than before. We didn't talk that often, but Tracey and I were buddies. He was always helpful with giving me his opinions with my historical Pokémon Research.

"Yeah, thanks Tracey!" I replied with the same amount of enthusiasm.

Gramps was on the line in a few seconds and he was as excited to hear from me as Tracey was.

"Hey, Gary. How are you, son?"

"I'm great, thanks Grandpa."

"So, quite an hour you're calling in. Must be urgent... Need something from me?"

I didn't have to think twice about what I needed. "Yeah, Gramps. You know how Ash's birthday is tomorrow?"

There was a slight pause in the line before his voice came up again.

"Aah yes. He's turning seventeen isn't he? You boys must be celebrating it with just the two of you, isn't that right?" He predicted accurately.

"Ahaha, uuh, yeah."

I couldn't help but stutter a little in reply. He made it sound like a suspicious thing; celebrating Ash's birthday with ONLY his childhood best friend. Not that it was, pfft. Nothing wrong with it. It was just the timing of our holiday, or so I told myself. The guy could have a party when he got home if he wanted to.

"So you know that special Pokémon I came across with in the Hoenn Region? I was wondering if you were done researching so I could finally give it to its rightful owner."

Gramps cleared his throat before speaking up once more. "Sure thing Gary. All research from that Pokémon was conducted ages ago. I'll send it to you now. You're in a Pokémon Center right?"

"Yeah. My Pokémon are in Floe Island's Paradise Park so I don't really have anything to trade back."

Fairly soon the Pokémon Trading Machine I was in front of presented me with a polished purple and pink ball with a white M engraved at the front. A one and only rare Master Ball. I received it from Grandpa of course; how he got his hands on it I had no idea. There were only five known Master Balls manufactured that I knew of, so being able to have one of them was a really great honor.

Inside the rarity was another rarity – a rare Pokémon I thankfully saved from evil grasps of Team Magma and Team Aqua. It was a friendly little Pokémon and I felt bad having captured it, instead of letting it run free where it belonged. It seemed to like having a Trainer though. It must have been really lonely, being alone and tormented for existing because of its special abilities. I was glad that it would soon have a loving Trainer who would take care and give it all the attention it needed.

"Hey, thanks a lot Grandpa. I gotta go do my shopping now. Hope you have a great day. Say thanks to Tracey for me as well!"

Grandpa responded, "No problem, Gary. You have a great day too. Goodbye now!"

Hanging up, I walked out of the center towards the nearest shop so I could wait until it was finally available. I decided to call more people from Kanto asking for help and explaining my plan of action.

Daisy already knew of my plan about Ash's birthday so she asked me to pack some supplies beforehand. Mrs Ketchum was extremely excited and once again wished for us to have a wondrous day. She said she'd call Ash to distract him later and give him her present when he returned. Misty and Brock were surprised to hear from me, but they offered me their support and said that they'd celebrate with Ash once he got back. After all, you didn't just turn seventeen everyday and Ash had a lot of friends to celebrate with. It wouldn't have been fair if they didn't know he'd spend his birthday with his supposedly oldest rival.

When the clock hit seven am, the shops opened conveniently and I was able to gather everything I needed so far. The only problem I had to worry about was where to hide them in our hotel room, and how to plan everything in such a minimum amount of time. Ash and I were supposed to be off to Knot Island in an hour, and I wasn't sure when we'd be back for me to prepare everything without the ravenette knowing. Knowing Ash he probably wouldn't remember his own birthday, and since he travelled so much he would have lost track of time.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I got back to the hotel room with all my supplies and decided to hide them all inside the empty top cupboards of the kitchen. If I distracted Ash well enough in the afternoon or let him sleep earlier at night then I'd be able to do some cooking and decorating. It would be hard though; I knew that much.

Before waking the sleeping boy, I whipped up some eggs and bacon for breakfast, with a creamy serving of hot chocolate good to go. While I was cooking I thought in advance to prepare some lunch we could take for our day ahead. I hoped Ash would appreciate breakfast in bed, not that he was in no condition to get up and move to the dining table. It was nice to care about someone for a change, even if it meant you were only doing little things like making breakfast for them to make them happy.

"Rise and shine, Ashy-love!" I laid the breakfast tray down on the dining table to nudge the still exhausted boy awake.

"Mmmhmfh. _Go away._"

Did the guy always wake up unhappy?

"Good morning to you too. Ashy, I made you breakfast. If you don't get up, you'll have none. You do want food right?"

Ash got up as quickly as possible, switching from tired to energetic with one snap of a finger.

"_Where? _I'm freaking starving!" He exclaimed, looking around frantically for food like he hasn't eaten in days. The boy would do anything for food...

"Tch. You weirdo. What kind of friend do you think I am, letting you starve? I made you breakfast in bed so you wouldn't have to get up. Here." I handed him a tray of food.

"Gee, thanks..."

"Eat quickly, okay? We have to board the ferry to Knot Island – which is the first island by the way – in forty-five minutes."

"FORTY-FIVE MINUTES? You could have woken me up earlier! I still need to shower! And pack properly! You better give me more time so I won't forget anything this time!" Ash cried worriedly. He proceeded to chowing his breakfast down as swiftly as he could.

Scratching at the back of my head guiltily, I apologized, "Sorry. I had stuff to do. Don't worry, I'll help you out. I'm practically almost ready anyway."

Ash and I luckily boarded another one of the small Seagallop Ferries to Knot Island just in time. The ferry did not have many people, much to our delight. The two of us sat closest to the ocean once again, this time without our Pokémon friends. From looking at his expressions I could tell the hazel-eyed teen was missing Pikachu and his other Pokémon dearly.

"Hey Ashy. We'll see Pikachu and Eevee in two days. Besides, they're having fun I'm pretty sure."

He looked at me with a weak smile. "It would be nice if we could spend today and tomorrow with them though. But I know they're okay."

As the ferry zoomed in to Knot Island our faces were whipped by a combination of the tangy sea breeze and saltwater. How was it that sitting near the water deemed a danger to the passengers? It was quite windy today but the air still felt as humid as it did yesterday.

"Gary, what's our plan for today? You didn't tell me beforehand." questioned Ash as we walked out the ferry dock. Knot Island was one of the small islands in the Sevii Area. It was less tree-filled and less inhabited, but it was famous for its beautiful cone-shaped extinct volcano Mount Ember. Of course there was also the well-known white sands of Treasure Beach, a place we were currently trekking through in pursuit of said volcano. To answer Ash's question, the two of us were going hiking and Rapidash riding on Mt Ember, and possibly learn a new thing or two about the history of the Sevii Islands.

"In general, we'll be volcano climbing today Ash. See that nice volcano up there?" I explained, pointing out at the terrain. "That's Mount Ember. We'll be riding trained Rapidash up the volcano from the Ember Ranch. You ever ridden a Rapidash before?"

Smiling, he beamed, "Yup! I raced with a Rapidash in an annual contest once near the Safari Zone you know."

"Really? Never heard of that!"

"It wasn't that scary either. Rapidash may be a Fire Pokémon but if they are trained like you say, they won't burn you."

Mount Ember was known to have a spectacular caldera view. From the internet I've seen aerial shots of its crater; brine water sitting calmly in the middle. The volcano looked exceedingly rocky and its jagged dominion was stained red and brown from where we were walking.

"Look Gary! There's the ranch!" confirmed Ash. He jogged his way ahead of me, approaching what seemed to look like a wooden barn surrounded by endless grass and hay bales.

An old man in a farmer's overalls walked over to greet us with a toothy smile. "G'mornin young lads. Lovely weather we havin' today, ain't it? I take it yer here for a ride up?" The man said in a thick cowboy accent.

"Uuuuh... hi. I'm Ash and this is my friend Gary. Yeah, can we please borrow some Rapidash to take us up the volcano?" The ravenette replied politely.

"Sure thing, boy. The name's Gorgon. I tend to all the Rapidash here in me ranch."

Mr Gorgon led us to the stables of finely-groomed Rapidash and a few Ponyta. Their manes were burning profusely – warm colours of the fire glistening to show off how healthy they were.

"Say, ye must be the Oak kid, aren't ya, son?" The old man asked me upon our arrival. Hmm. I surely didn't expect to be recognized even in the Sevii Islands.

"Yes, sir."

"Heh, knew it I did! Seen yer on tv sometimes. Yer research is what they call outstanding. Ancient Pokémon aye? They sure are int'restin' ain't they? You young'ins should visit the ruins 'ere in Fortune Island."

"Hehe, thanks... We sure will, sir."

He turned to Ash for moment. "And yer must be the incredible young Pokémon Trainer who's competed in five diff'rent leagues! Ash, I believe?"

"Yup! That's me!"

"Did yer know there's a sixth league somewhere, way way beyond all five regions?"

"There is?"

"Yeah Ash. Kalos Region has some interesting Pokémon. We have got to go there someday." I mentioned to the hazel-eyed boy.

Mr Gorgon went inside one of the stables and walked out two of the healthy fire horses near us. One of the Rapidash kept moving away shyly and timidly, but the other remained obedient.

"This shy fella's called Suzie. She ain't very confident and if fer some reason she won't take yer up then yer gonna have to both ride this other fella, Sasha." Mr Gorgon explained, trying to tame the said shy horse and letting Ash hold onto Sasha. Interesting nicknames for Rapidash, I thought to myself.

Ash was smiling and petting the fire horse, beaming and laughing gladly. "She's so beautiful Gary! Aren't you, girl?" There goes his cuteness _again... Heh. _If only Ash could see the way he smiled was so beautiful, too.

"Yer must really care fer yer friend there, don't ya, son?" Mr Gorgon whispered to me so Ash wouldn't hear. It seemed that Suzie refused to cooperate which meant I had to ride together with the Pikachu Trainer. It wasn't such a bad thing. I never really knew how to tame Rapidash.

I focused my attention back on the old man's statement. What in the world did he know?

"Uuuh..." was the only thing I could say in reply. Was the fact that I wanted to repair our relationship written all over my face?

"The look in yer eyes when ya watch 'im. It's diff'rent, y'know. It may sound awf'lly weird but an ol' man like me? We know these things like we know da world."

What in the world was he talking about? Look in my eyes? What look? Oh well, old men. Even my Grandpa was crazy with his poetry sometimes. I wish I didn't end up like that soon enough.

"Well young lad, ya'll know it soon." He mentioned before walking over to Ash to assist him in riding the Rapidash. A few moments later I mounted the fire horse behind the hazel-eyed teen and within minutes we waved our goodbyes to the old man.

_'Ya'll know it soon...'_ The phrase kept resounding in my head. What will I know? How will I know? I don't even know... Oh, whatever.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Ash was guiding Sasha quite competently through the rocky terrain of Mount Ember. There was a dusty rough pathway made especially for climbing and we followed that same pathway, hoping to reach the top of the volcano as soon as we could. Mount Ember in estimate was nine hundred forty-seven meters tall and we kept going around, and around, _and around, _merely a vicinity away from the summit. I heard there was a shrine at the top, dedicated to the mysterious legendary bird Moltres who used to reside at the volcano.

While we ascended up the volcano, I remembered to take as many photographs as I could of Knot Island's marvellous view. White sand and blue water, in addition to the green of the trees were mixed in together in the view to create what looked to me like a professional painting. These sceneries were just _priceless. _Someone needs to remind me to thank Daisy for picking this particular place to go on a holiday.

"Hey Gary...?"

"Hmm?"

"I was just wondering... Why was it that you wanted to become friends with me all of a sudden? We haven't exactly been close to each other these past few years, have we?"

And he popped the question. I wasn't expecting this until later, but then again, this was Ashy we were talking about. One hundred percent straightforwardly curious and zero percent perceptive.

"Because I missed you, Ashy." May as well be honest. He'd never believe me though.

"Missed me?"

"I missed having a best friend."

"But I thought you didn't want me to hold you back from becoming the best." I could hear him pout in front of me, confused.

"I don't need to be the best anymore. I have everything I want. I don't need anything else."

_...except maybe being your friend again, Ashy._

"You're hiding something." He speculated, eyes still trained on the dusty track. I brushed through my hair with a free hand, noting the way it frizzed in the humid air. No gel today, thank goodness. Over-usage could ruin my beautiful auburn locks.

"Nothing you need to know..." I sighed in response. "I ain't telling you, not yet anyway."

"Fine then. See if I care about you and your secrets..." He muttered, this time completely focused on navigating Sasha towards the summit. She whinnied in reply, trotting forwards in compliancy.

It would take more effort from me to earn Ash's friendship again. I broke him when I left. I destroyed him, and I knew it. I said words that I knew would burn and did things that I knew would never be forgotten or forgiven. All to earn some attention I didn't need, because his wasn't enough._ Or so I thought..._

It turned out that I needed him more than anyone. He was my best friend, and he cared about me a long time ago. Should we be given the time, I believe we could salvage the friendship we used to have. He was the only one who could see through my status as the grandson of a famous Professor. He saw me as Gary, jerk of the century, Gary, his own Pokémon Researcher. Gary, the unworthy, loser-like, better-than-Giovanni-anyway Viridian City Gym Leader. Life wasn't as interesting without him, and I wanted and needed him back.

My arms were wrapped up around the ravenette yet again, holding him tightly to avoid falling off the fire horse. He was so warm. I rested my chin on his shoulder and leaned on him, wanting to rest my sleepy eyes.

"_What_–_! _What are you doing?" He asked incredulously. I was so tired and I hated it.

"Let me sleep, Ashy. I got up at five am this morning." I whined. He merely scoffed his disappointment.

"This is why you don't wake up at dawn, Gary. You need to sleep more or your eyes will remain baggy."

"I don't choose to wake up though! I just do. I can't sleep. It's hard to sleep back."

"You might fall off."

"I'll hold on tight."

"But–! Oh _fine then_."

He sighed heavily, harrumphing again for having to deal with me. It wasn't my fault I had such stupid and uncomfortable mornings...

"I'll wake you up when we reach the top. You're such a Snorlax." He said. Unfortunately for me, I didn't even have enough energy to retaliate as I subsequently dozed off on his shoulder.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Ash nudged me awake when we'd arrived like he promised. Strangely enough that was the best nap I've had in years. Rubbing my eyes free of its grogginess, I gradually became in awe at the sight of the spectacular Mount Ember. Volcanoes were usually boring-looking to everyone else, but I believed such scenery should at least be appreciated. The crater of Mount Ember was surrounded by a thick, wired fence to avoid anyone from falling, exempting three of the small lookouts people were standing around to admire the supposedly rippling waters at the bottom of the crater. From afar, I could also see a few tourists taking pictures of the same small shrine dedicated to Moltres.

Ash and I hopped off the Rapidash and walked towards the said shrine. A magnificent statue of the fire legendary stood its ground, its goldness gleaming and grinning at the light..

"Wooooooow! Moltres looks so chimerical." Ash stated next to me as he gazed upon the statue, Sasha stomping in agreement behind him. I focused my eyes on the sign that was written in cursive text at the front.

"Look Ash, it says here that we could _'Honor the legendary Moltres with wishes that could come true. Write a petition on the given piece of paper and watch it come true as you release it in the air and let it sink in the crater lake'._ Sounds interesting, huh?"

His hazel orbs widened gleefully in excitement. "Really? Sweet! We gotta try it! It's like a wishing well, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Typical childish Ash...

The younger boy eyed me for a second, and I had to rethink what I'd just said for earning such a judging and suspicious look.

"Aren't you excited, Gary?"

"No, not really. It's just wish-making. But it definitely is a fascinating tradition."

"JUST WISH-MAKING?!" He exclaimed, as if what I had said was something taboo. "Hey, it's not everyday we run into something like this, y'know? We have to try it whether you like it or not." The ravenette protested, pouting for all it was worth. Typical childish _and sentimental_ Ash...

"Hey, don't fret. We'll try it, you big buffoon. No more temper tantrums, seriously."

There was a small container with pieces of paper attached to the mysterious looking sign. Taking one each, the two of us began drafting our so called wishes. Luckily I brought pens I though we wouldn't need, handily kept in my backpack of daily things. Sasha also behaved obediently even when Ash left her unsupervised.

Wishes. I didn't really make wishes. It was hard to believe that just pleading for something to happen would actually make it come true someday, even if they _could_ come true. I could have wished for anything, and if these wishing rites were real, my life could have been so much better. Maybe I could wish for a better car of my own since I hardly used my red one, or to win the next few battles at my very own gym. Maybe I could wish for some ridiculous anti-friendly Pokémon corporation like Team Rocket to lose their ability to think, or have the privilege to revive a Tirtouga from a fossil. I could wish for the impossible, like become ten years old again or get my parents back. But they were just empty words. What could you possibly get from empty words?

In the end, I thought none of those personal desires that niggled at the back of my mind. Instead, I thought about the present. I thought selfishly and selflessly. And stupidly, too. Even though I knew it couldn't just come true out of the blue, just the thought of it made me hope anyway. Maybe that's what they're for – wishes. A kindled hope, strengthened to come true by the constant thought of it.

_'I wish Ash would be safe. That we could be best friends again. That he'd have a great _–_no, the best _–_ birthday ever tomorrow. I wish he would keep smiling, reach for his goals, always be his happy self, and never give up.' _I scribbled on the paper like there was no tomorrow. It was a stupid wish. A wish that only came to mind when you had nothing to think about. It was evident that I was not an expert at the wishing field, and I really was not into them like others were. To think I thought about my best friend more than I should... I wanted Ash to know I cared. That I genuinely, _genuinely _cared about him.

"Done! Garyyyy, hurry up, you _Slowpoke!_" Ash was already making his way towards one of the crater lookouts with Sasha to let his wish ride the wind. He's been calling me lots of weird Pokémon names lately.

I followed straight and approached the lookout, smiling at the breathtaking sight of the water. It was like any other lake, but the view from up here was more captivating than most. Both the younger teen and I extended our hands in the air and waited for the wind to carry our dreams along, with our hopes that someday... just someday, they would actually happen.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Ash and I took our time to take photographs of each other near the crater lookout, at the shrine and even a few snapshots of the scenery we really admired. We were literally on top of the world. It was a privilege to be up at such a spectacular-looking place. How breathtakingly amazing.

The time on my Pokétch read twelve forty-three, indicating that it was time for lunch. Finding a quiet table spot on the summit devoid from other people or any distractions, I set up our lunch-to-be while Ash groomed the fire horse with contentment.

"Ashy! Lunchtime! You too, Sasha." I called out. I packed club sandwiches and chicken-filled rice balls to eat and of course, some apple juice for drinking. Ash helped himself to lunch while I prepared Rapidash's share of my own Pokémon food recipe.

"So Gary-Berry... What did you wish for?" The curious ravenette began. His eyes were twinkling with eagerness even as he ate the whole lot of rice balls I made.

"It's a secret."

"What...? How could it be secret? That's not fair."

"How is it not fair?"

"I'm gonna tell you mine if you say yours first." What a cheeky brat Ash was.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't wanna say."

"You suck Gary. Fine. I won't tell you my wish. Wishes won't come true anyway if you tell others what you wished for."

I rose my eyebrows at him after taking a bite of my half-eaten sandwich.

"Oh really? Then why were you asking for mine? You don't want my wish to come true?"

Ash scrunched up his face into a frown. "No. But whatever you wished for must have been stupid. It wouldn't need to come true."

That was harsh! Especially since my wish was about him, for Arceus' sake. Did he really hate me that much?

"That was really mean, Ash. I feel so hurt!" I retorted in a dramatic way in hopes of hiding my pained feelings. Was I really that evil to him before? He wouldn't even let me try to be nice again! Ash merely shrugged away my exclamations, shaking his raven mop around with a ludicrous look directed at me.

"Yeah, right Gary. Yeah right."

"You really are no fun, Ashy."

When lunch was over I cleaned up thoroughly and we went on our way, exploring more of the Mount Ember summit. More pictures were taken of the wonderful views and some with Sasha included.

Ash and I were looking out at the scenery one moment when the younger teen spoke up.

"I'm bored Gary. Can we play a game?"

"How come? Aren't you inspired by such a scene?"

He fidgeted uneasily. "I am, but since we're here, we may as well do something besides _stare out_ at the landscape."

Tch. I sighed. "What do you wanna do, then? We don't exactly have a board game handy."

"Who said anything about board games?" Ash sneered, crossing his arms. "How about an outdoor game? Tag? Dodgeball?" The ravenette paced around as he brainstormed before jumping up to voice his _brilliant_ idea.

"How about we play hide and seek? Like we used to as children! Had we our Pokémon, we could have a battle or I'd challenge you to a race but I doubt it's very safe to run around here. Whaddya say?" Hazel eyes flickered pleadingly as they bore back into my emerald ones.

Hide and seek, of all games. He was turning seventeen tomorrow and the guy still couldn't grow up and act his age. I should humour him, I suppose. Let him indulge in playing a childish game. After all, he'd never be sixteen twice, and it'd be long till we visit this place again.

"Hide and seek is _so–_"

"Awesome!" He finished for me. "And you say I'm no fun. This is why you have baggy eyes Gary. You're getting old and you don't wanna have fun! You're such a _Grandpa Slaking._"

"_What? _That doesn't even make sen–"

"Of course it makes perfect sense. You're seventeen and _still young!_ Live life a little. For that, you're IT! You better count to ten and find me, Gary-Berry!" He rushed off cunningly into a dominion of rocks and bushes.

Ash was such a child... Sheesh. And I thought he didn't want me to treat him like a baby!

"Ungrateful bastard..." I muttered, looking for a tree to lean on. Fine then! The guy better run as far away as possible while he could. By the time I finish counting, I swear to Arceus, _I'm gonna find you and I'll never let you go._

"_Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one..._ Ready or not, Ashy, here I come!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

It turns out that I enjoyed playing the children's game more than I thought I would. He was right; I was getting old and boring. Soon enough I would be like my grandfather if I kept doing too much work. Ash wasn't exactly so hard to find as his blue and white attire stood out from the rocks, and he had more trouble trying to look for me since I hid cleverly and sneakily. Sasha was napping quietly where we left her so we let her sleep for a while, undisturbed.

After much sightseeing and playing, Ash and I decided it was time to get back down to Knot Island, so we rode on the fire horse to take us back to the Ember Ranch.

I hadn't noticed on the way up that there was a nearby hot spring resort called the Ember Spa. We visited it for a brief moment just to see what it was like, but there wasn't much to see and we didn't bring any spare clothes.

"Aww man. I wanted to swim." Ash complained unhappily.

"Tomorrow Ashy. We're heading to a beach resort tomorrow." I promised the ravenette.

Time was also ticking by and we needed to get back to Boon Island so that I could start making better preparations for tomorrow. A one-man job really. I'd need all the help I could get. I should have had Eevee with me for support... How I missed the brown fluffy creature so much.

We arrived at the Ember Ranch after a two-hour trek down. Imagine how long it would have taken us to get down by foot. Sasha was happily coping – she seemed used to the tiring exercise. Fairly soon we were able to take the fire horse back and Mr Gorgon welcomed us into his ranch for a bit of a break. He scared me a little with his enigmatic perceptions, but he was indeed a nice grandpa.

"So, how'd you young'ins like the view up there? Fascinatin' ain't it?" The old man concluded while sipping his tea.

"It was really beautiful! I loved the wishing rite." Ash exclaimed in response.

"How 'bout yer, young lad?"

"Unlike anything I'd ever seen before, sir."

He sent us off with a few homemade fortune cookies. It must have been sad for him, living alone and taking care of so many Rapidash and Ponyta without assistance. It seemed unfair to me. Grandpa was alone, but he had his assistants. Mr Gorgon was completely alone, having only Pokémon to accompany him. I understood well that they could be a joy, but it was human nature to want to be close to someone as well. Loneliness was a sensitive topic for me to talk about. It was only right that I was concerned about other people who were lonely too.

"Son? Mind a chat with an ol' man like me?" I remember him asking me when Ash wasn't paying attention. I simply nodded back, wondering what on earth he wanted to say.

"Sir?"

"I know ya ain't thinkin' much 'bout love yet, but a guy like me used to be a Psychic, y'know? Could read people's feelin's, that I could. Probably still can."

"I see. That's very nice sir."

He cleared his throat and looked me in the eye with an emotion akin to concern. "I see terrible things coming yer way, but there'll be good things, I tell ya now. Take care of him, son. Take good care of him. Don't let 'im disappear like I did mine. Don't let yer heart give up on 'im."

I let the old man say what he wanted, but I still didn't understand what he wanted from me. I got the part where his wife must have passed away, and that he was forewarning me about something between Ash and I. I knew I had to take care of Ash. He was my best friend, and he meant a lot to me. I wouldn't dare let anything happen to him like the way I hurt him again.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Back at last! I could just sleep now!" cried Ash as he let himself slouch down at the sofa of our hotel room. The trip back wasn't long, thankfully. We managed to catch an early ferry back and this time, we stayed far from the water. It was about three thirty-nine, so I had quite a lot of time to prepare. If only someone would distract Ash so I could start...

"What do we do as of now, Gary? Should we go beach walking?" He suggested. He looked a little tired and was already getting comfortable next to his Pikachu and Bulbasaur plushies. That wouldn't do at all! I needed him out of the hotel room, pronto!

"Umm, you know what, Ash? I need to make a quick call, okay? Just wait for me." I stammered before finding the door to our bedroom.

"Okay. I'll just be–" he yawned loudly, "_–here_."

As I went inside the bedroom, I dialled Mrs. Ketchum's home number, wishing she would pick up instead of Mr. Mime.

"Hello?" A female voice echoed in the line.

"Mrs. Ketchum! Thank goodness! Are you busy? I really need someone to distract Ash."

I could hear her giggle excitedly over the phone. "Oh, _it's time!_ How much time would you need, Gary?"

"Two hours is enough, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Alright, dear! Hang up and I'll call my darling!"

What a lifesaver. She was like my mom, honestly. Correction: She _was_ my mom. Her and Daisy took good care of me in my childhood with the absence of my real mother. For that I was grateful to her and my older sister. She knew me just as well as she knew Ash. But if she was my mother, wouldn't that make Ash my baby brother? Uggh. Cringe of doom. That's just... weird.

The ravenette was already on his Poké Gear when I exited the bedroom. Mrs. Ketchum acted fast.

"_Moom!_ Why do want me to get so many souvenirs? And they sound stupid too! What? **No.** Mom, please don't! Okay, _okay,_ fine I'll go get them, but you have to make me something nice when I get home. Yes, I love you too." He complained in an unamused manner.

"Gary, I have to go down to the shops." Ash said to me while he was still on the line.

"You want me to come?" I pretended to be concerned. I could see him turn scarlet at my comment.

"No, _no._ I'll go alone. I need some air, anyway. You'll be alright here right?"

"Okay. Go ahead then. I'll just do some errands too. Take care, Ashy. Do call me when you're returning."

I got ready immediately when Ash left the hotel room. Just in case, I locked the door and hoped Mrs. Ketchum bought me a lot of time. I wondered what he had to grab? I'd find out later.

Baking trays, pans and pots were scattered all over the kitchenette in a matter of minutes. I needed to make burgers and his birthday cake. I needed to decorate the cake, wrap his presents and blow up a few balloons. I also needed somewhere to hide everything, so I tidied up one of the walk-in, unused cabinets in the lounge. The advantages of staying in a hotel: room service ensured total cleanliness of your place.

Ash loved chocolate didn't he? I was planning to make him the most delicious triple chocolate cake in the world! Taking out an old family recipe from my travel knapsack, I readied myself to measure out cocoa powder and sugar. My sister taught me how to cook. She knew how independent I acted, so she taught me everything she knew, like how to bake and sauté and follow recipes. I found my cooking skills most useful as I took care and spent time with Ash the whole week.

In one and a half hours I got all three dozen batches of burgers made, sauce and patties and all. I multi-tasked baking and keeping my eye on the boiling pots fairly well. A mixture of a sweet and salty scent surrounded the room, tickling my nose as I sniffed the air.

The cake was also thankfully set for cooling. I would just re-heat everything up for tomorrow. It was better than having to get up at an insane hour like three am to make everything and risk waking the ravenette up. While I waited for the cake to cool I blew up all the multi-coloured balloons with a mini helium tank I brought from the shops. Ash would be back anytime soon, and the cake still needed to be decorated!

After another thirty minutes I got the cake elegantly covered in icing and marzipan, placing it properly in the cabinet along with the burgers and balloons. I stored all the dishes in the dishwasher and put away all the remaining ingredients. It was no use if I let Ash inside since he'd be able to tell I did a lot of cooking. The aroma of sweet chocolate and chilli sauce still lingered around the room.

It was already five thirty-two pm when Ash got back from his souvenir shopping errand. "Gary! Let me in!" The younger boy knocked on the door. Thank goodness! I just finished everything! But I couldn't let him go inside...

"Hey, Ashy." I replied back, quickly opening and locking the door from the outside. Phew. I was exhausted.

"Umm, hi. Can you maybe get out of the way? I need to put away these bags."

"I'll do it for you."

"N-No, I can do it myself. Now let me in."

"Sorry Ash. _I can't._ How about we go out instead?" I knew I was stalling, but he couldn't know about my surprise. Surely he'd understand that, wouldn't he?

"Why not?"

"It's a secret."

He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"You and your secrets! Seriously? We're friends and you hide secrets from me? How am I supposed to trust you if you don't trust me?!" He stomped off angrily, dropping his bags at my feet. I didn't mean to make him angry. He probably didn't have a good time trying to find all the things he bought.

"Ashy, wait–!"

It was too late to call him. He was already gone.

I looked down to inspect the variety of products under me. _Oh..._ I understood now. It _was_ a lot of shopping. And an embarrassing haul at that.

Striped knickers and flashy pink women's bathing suits and lingerie? Mrs. Ketchum was a genius. But Ash was not too pleased about it, and he hated me yet again. Why did these things happen to me?!

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I found the younger boy moping around the entrance of the hotel. He was sitting on a large rock, peering out into nowhere and kicking his shoes back and forth in irritation.

"Don't r-run away like t-that again, Ashy." I panted in between breaths. Honestly, why did he have to worry me like that? When I finally caught my breath, I approached Ash and sat next to him at the rock.

Turning to face him, I apologized meaningfully.

"Sorry, if I angered you. I didn't mean to be so secretive. I just... didn't want you to know yet that's all. I promise I'll tell you soon. And I won't be secretive anymore, okay?"

He pouted like a child, acting cute and innocent again.

"You're so hard to read, Gary. I never know what you're thinking."

"I'm sorry. You know you could just ask. I'll make it up to you, just please don't be mad anymore." I took his hand into mine, massaging his soft fingers and joints. His hands were calloused with age; a sign of hardwork and effort put into his battles. He wasn't as young as I believed, but I bet he needed someone to take care of him along the way as he was too busy to do so himself.

He fiddled with my fingers which were long and less flawed compared to his. "I'm sorry for reacting badly." Like the visible sunset in front of us, Ash's cheeks were tinted pink. "You probably saw what my mom made me buy. Sheesh, it was so embarrassing; I had to walk into shops and pick out designs she SPECIFICALLY stated and everyone was looking at me... It was hectic. My mom... she's sooo, clingy sometimes."

Heh. If only I could understand what it was like to have real parents. "You're lucky you have a mom." I mentioned out loud without thinking. Once my words caught up to me I couldn't take it back. Why did I say that? Of all things...

"Hey Ash, I didn't mean to say tha–"

"I know. I didn't take it personally."

"Oh... Alright then..."

Another one of those awful silences decided to stop around and wait for one of us to speak to one another. The sun was gone and before us remained a beautiful night sky; stars twinkling intermittently like colourful LED lights.

"Say uuuh, Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"You eaten dinner yet? It's getting late. Wanna get food at the late night restaurant back in the hotel?"

"Oh yes! Heck, I didn't even notice how hungry I was up until now. Let's go!"

We both stood up and straightened out our messy clothes before entering the hotel to grab some food. Hopefully by the time we were finished the cooking smell in our hotel room would have dissipated to leave no clues about my surprise for Ash the next day.

We were looking at the restaurant's dinner menu when Ash began speaking. "I'm ordering the same barbecue roast chicken main with a side dish of potato salad and cheese fries with sprinkled bacon on top, and lots and lots of apple and orange and mango juice because I can! What are you getting Gary?"

"A coffee and a steak dish with mushroom sauce."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"You eat so little!"

"You eat so much."

"I love food! I'm just glad I have a quick metabolism."

"And I don't eat or drink a lot because I don't wanna walk to the hotel like a pregnant woman nor do I wanna have to wake up at night to pee." I concluded, irritating him. His Jigglypuff ego was back again like the cutie he was, getting all angry for something so trivial.

We ate and conversed our way through the meal, chatting about how many legendaries we'd seen in our lifetime. Apparently Ash had met every legendary Pokémon I knew, starting with Ho-oh and ending with Genesect. If I was with him along his journey it would have been an honor to gain more knowledge about the complexity behind those creatures.

I remembered that I kept the fortune cookies we received from Mr Gorgon in my daily backpack I brought from our hotel room just in case. We just finished consuming our scrumptious dinner, fully satisfied and content.

"Here, Ash. Let's open fortune cookies." I insisted, handing the ravenette a fortune cookie.

"Oh, yes! We should!"

He eagerly took the homemade fortune cookie from my hand. There were about six in the pack, so we made a deal to open one during dinner for the next two days as well.

Cracking open the brittle exterior of the cookie and eating it, I read the suspense-filled fortune presented in front of me.

_"A misfortune to come may look like the end, but don't be discouraged. It is only the start of something better than planned."_

Oh great. A sad thing. How very unfortunate for me. But then again, I didn't really believe in fortunes. It wasn't really the end of the world. Still... that old man knew something I didn't. It couldn't hurt to be careful for the future.

"Yay! My fortune's awesome, Gary! Mine says,_ "A pleasant surprise is at your door. Appreciate it when it arrives. You never know, you may discover something unknown." _What's yours?" Ash giggled excitedly. Of course, if he believed in wishes then he must have believed in fortunes too.

I told him what mine was and he bursted into a loud laughter. Had he no sympathy for me? But if the fortune was really true it did mention I didn't have to worry. Misfortune to come... I hoped it didn't involve Ash.

Upon finishing our dinner, I paid for both meals while Ash waited at the door and fairly soon we made our way up to our hotel room to rest from such an energy-draining day. Ash took a quick speedily and emerged from the bathroom wearing the same Darkrai pyjamas he wore the other day. He fixed up for bed and lied down hastily, feeling undeniably sleepy.

"Goodnight, Ashy-love." I whispered, walking over to where he laid to tuck him in.

"You tuck me in every night, don't you?" Ash mumbled sleepily, peering at me with half-lidded eyes.

"It's because you love being tucked in... and I know it." I pointed out, smirking to no end. "Now sleep tight, you have a REALLY REALLY big day tomorrow."

.

.

.

.

.

With Ash, I felt on top of the world. And no one could argue to me about that. It didn't matter how successful or handsome I looked, because without a best friend, life for me would be nothing. Loneliness was something I have felt before, but Ash took that away from me. Just as long as I had him nearby my side, I was pretty much assured that my life could and would never go wrong.


	5. Everything I Want

**(March 11, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 5)**

**Surprise! ChiiRyeeBiee here with a quick story update. I know, I surprised myself too. Usually I need time to juggle my schoolwork and writing so updating stories are just as Slowpoke as ever... *uses Fake Tears***

**Anyway, I forced myself to edit this up as soon as possible, cuz _heyheyhey_, guess what today is (or _was_, from where I live anyway)? *waits for silent reply* That's right! It's AUGUST EIGHT! (Well, not really since it's already the 9th where I'm at but close enough. I'm just a day late and it's Saturday so may as well do some editing!)**

**Woopdedoo! Red's birthday has passed and in this story's case, Ash's birthday, so what better time to upload Chappie Five than today? Yes, I'm really sentimental *kicks self*, but I guess this is a way for me to celebrate our beloved (or is it only mine? I dunno. I like Ash and Red soo...) protagonist's birthday, update a story and make readers happy at the same time. Win-win situation, right?**

**ChiiRyeeBiee used Update! It's super effective! Hehehe. Thanks so much for those who review, favourite, follow and simply read this baby of mine, by the way. It makes me so happy! *uses Sweet Kiss and more Fake Tears* I just hope that this makes the cut, for such a short editing notice. Don't hate mee! I'm a flawed human being!**

**Yaoi | Not Mine | Cliché | Death by Fluff | Fangirl Weirdness | Beach Obsessions | Very _annoying_ over Pokémon-Referencing**

**Favourite, Follow and/or Review!**

**Alrighty then. I'm done yapping. Happy Red's birthday, minnasan! *uses Encore***

* * *

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter Five: Everything I Want (Ash's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I had to wake up in the middle of the night to pee. I knew I shouldn't have drunk that much apple juice in the restaurant; Gary even warned me not to but _nooo, _I didn't listen to him. I just had to be mulish over food and drink, didn't I? If there was one thing I hated just as much as losing in gym battles, starving for food or thirsting desperately for water, it was waking up in the middle of the night. It wasn't as rare as people thought being the heavy sleeper I was, but I occassionally suffered from insomnia, especially before a gym battle day or some supposedly important event. Boohoohoo me.

I very much appreciated a full ten-hour-or-more sleeping cycle unlike_ Mr-I-Can't-Sleep-Guy_ thankfully dozing at my right, and now that I was awake I doubt it'd be easy to snag myself enough snoozing hours this time. I went to the bathroom with a nightlight, deciding to recall the events of my previous day half-unconscious.

Yesterday was actually really cool. Hiking that red volcano, Mount Ember was it? I loved the traditional wish-making rite dedicated to Moltres. Typically for me, I wished solely about finding the part of me that was more lost than it was missing. Ridiculous. Absurd. Lame, I know. I believed in wishes, but that wish could have been better. I wonder what the brunette wished about? Something about improving his research or to have forever-straight and spiky hair, perhaps.

Riding on Sasha was a great experience as well. It had been a long time since I rode on a Rapidash, and I very much enjoyed experiencing it once more. The thrill of navigating a fire horse towards the summit of a tall nature's wonder, arms faintly brushing against the warm, non-burning flames of hair made me feel free for some reason. Like I had no expectations in life - that it was just me, the Rapidash and Mount Ember. There was nothing I had to find and no one I had to impress. And sure, we didn't gallop out into sunset, shouting_ "freedom!"_ along the way, but it was still an amazing feat. In fact, if a certain snuggle-bug wasn't cuddling me close as he slept, I would have done so.

_The brunette was hiding something from me,_ I thought as I washed my hands languorously and looked into my beady-eyed reflection. I tried to ask him about it but he didn't come clean._ "It's a secret...",_ he kept on babbling. I didn't get it. We were supposed to be making up with one another, weren't we? Didn't that involve being less secretive and learning how to trust one another? Hmm. I guess I didn't trust him too well either. I was slowly getting close to him again though, unlike a week ago where the possibility of me considering to open up and telling Gary about how I'd been and what I dreamed of achieving was as similar as Pikachu evolving into Zekrom.

Come to think about it now, I never once thought about asking how the older boy's life was so far, nor did I know anything about him or his recent discoveries about Pokémon. Maybe I _was_ being the selfish friend. Besides calling me Ashy-love and mocking me without meaning it, Gary had been really kind and considerate to me these last few days. And I didn't even appreciate it out of fear that he would break me again. How cruel was I.

I was about to return back to bed in attempts to recover my interrupted sleep when I decided to check on the snoozing gym leader. I normally slept before Gary, so seeing him in his unconscious state was almost unfamiliar. I watched him sleep soundlessly at my right, his back facing the other wall. With the tiny nightlight I held at my hand I could make up some of his well-liked features, like his messy chocolate hair scattered on the pillow he laid on; his closed eyes, his long-bridged nose and his half-opened mouth. Gary's chest rose and fell from quiet and comfortable breathing, and it reminded me of the days we used to sleepover at each other's houses, cuddling in one bed with the both of us wrapped up in a thick comforter.

I remember us challenging each other to the_ Sleep _game, where whoever fell asleep first was declared the loser and the other, the winner. I lost most of the time. But on the off-times I did win, I recall poking at Gary's cheeks with a devious grin and trying to pull back one of his eyelids evilly. Haha, good times. In the end I'd fall sleep on his chest, listening to his beating heart while he breathed a silent lullaby. It was a nice thing too, because it reminded me that the emerald-eyed boy was very much alive and would always be around to be my friend.

Where did those days go, I wonder now? Would it be possible to get them back? It was then that I realized just how much I missed my friend. I missed the one who helped treat my grazes whenever I fell down. The one who wiped my tears dry and went out to beat up the very someone who called me bad names. The one who promised we'd travel the world together, just he and I, and together we'd conquer lands and become rulers of the universe. _Someone, anyone, if you could hear me now. Please give my friend back to me..._

I snapped out of laalaa land after hearing the sound of the clock in the kitchenette strike a new hour. Back to bed then, for real this time. The older boy mentioned that we'd be ferrying to a resort in the morning, so I needed my resting hours. _If I could get them back_, I rolled my eyes at the betrayal of my bladder. We were finally finally _finally_ going to visit the beach — complete with warm white sand, and sunshine, and the splashing of water when you ran to meet the big sea. Exciting, huh?! Tomorrow was going to be a blast! I just wished Pikachu and Bulbasaur and Vaporeon could have been with us...

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I was only half-asleep when I heard a continuous yet disturbing beeping noise from the cursed oven in the kitchenette. I didn't even need to open my eyes to know it was a) Gary, and b) still too early for me to be up. Really now? Why would he be awake so early?! Then he blames me for being too tired afterwards. Gary urgently needed a prescription for sleeping pills.

In an attempt to block out any other irritating miscellaneous sounds I buried myself in my duvet with pillows over my ears. _Sleep... Sleeeeep... Sleeeeeep.._. I've already woken up once and I refuse to lose another hour of precious resting time. Luckily I fell back into slumber, cradling my Pikachu and Bulbasaur plushie altogether. It'd be a few more hours before I'd be willing to _rise and shine_, for goodness sake.

**~o~**

"Ashy... Wake up now, Ashy." I could faintly hear Gary whisper from above me. Was it really already a few hours later? Apparently it was, since the morning caws of migrating Wingulls were audible from outside. When I refused to budge from my position, the older boy opted to pull the covers out and give me another hair ruffling. This earned him my disapproving growl.

"No. GO AWAY. I hate you,_ leave me alone._"

"Aww, you don't really mean that, do you? I made you breakfast and all! Come on Ashy, it's beach time soon. Don't blame me for waking you up so late again this time."

Ugh. I hate mornings.

"Okay, 'M getting up. Pfft."

"Guess what today is, Ashy-love?" He singsonged cheerily, nudging me softly awake once more. For some weird reason the smell of chilli cheeseburgers and chocolate cake intoxicated my senses. I slowly rose from my lying position only to see balloons of many colours filling up the room, floating to the gold ceiling like silent spores scattering in the wind.

What... was going on?

"'S a _Monday? What's going on_, why's everything look so festive?" I mumbled incoherently. Not the answer he wanted, but I was confused. Balloons. Chocolate cake. Cheeseburgers, which were my favourite. I instinctively checked my Pokétch, hoping it would give me answers. Eight twenty-two am, Monday, and it was the eighth of August. Monday, the eighth of August.

Nothing. I really didn't get what in Arceus was going o—

WAIT.

WAIT A MINUTE!

Monday the eighth of August?

Monday, the. eighth. of. August.

THE.

EIGHTH.

OF.

AUGUST, for Arceus' sake!

That was my birthday! _Today_ was my birthday! Today was _my birthday? _It was, because it was the **eighth of August** and my Pokétch never lied!

Okay, something was very, very wrong. People just didn't go on forgetting their own birthdays. I never — and I repeat — _NEVER_, forgot my own birthday and have never done so in the past. Even in the midst of travelling, I made sure to direct my travelling pals to a cake shop and together we'd maul everything on menu at an inexpensive restaurant. Gaaaaaah! It made me feel so pathetic to know it was MY seventeenth birthday and I FORGOT IT! Of all things!

"You silly. It's obviously got to be something WAY more special than just an ordinary MONDAY. But hey, you just woke up and your head is cloudy. Here, I made your favourite. Happy seventeenth birthday, Ashy-love."

Just like yesterday, he passed me a tray of food and let it sit on my lap. On it was a mug of hot chocolate and eight piles of plump cheeseburgers, freshly steaming from the oven. Now I knew why he was up at such an early hour. Aww man, this was really sweet...

"Thank you... oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot my birthday..." I murmured a little guiltily. He didn't have to do so much for me. I could take care of myself! But hey, it was great for a change. After ten months devoid of travelling companions, I liked having someone care about me. Even if was Gary and we were never real travelling partners.

Uggh, I still couldn't believe I forgot my own birthday! That was the lowest of the low. I felt even more guilty for criticizing him inwardly about his early rising habit and the breakfast-in-bed he made just for me. So this was his big_ 'secret behind closed doors' _huh? He was preparing all this for me yesterday afternoon. How very nice of him...

"Eat quick, then I'll get you your gift." He said, smiling at me again with the very real smile he hid from almost everyone.

He got a gift for me!? No waaaaay. He really didn't have to, the food was enough, I swear.

"I _have_ a present?"

He grinned cheerfully at my genuinely curious question. "Of course. You didn't think I'd just make you breakfast and fill the room up with balloons, did you? There's more of course! Now hurry up!"

On cue, I chowed down all eight cheeseburgers without difficulty, taking a sip of hot chocolate here and then. Afterwards, Gary presented me with a modern medium-sized black box with red and frilly thick ribbons wrapped around it.

"This was your so-called secret, wasn't it, Gary?"

"Hehehe... You're not mad at me, are you? I did tell you I'd let you know soon. Time to open your present, Ashy. Do tell me if my chosen item is to your liking."

I did as I was told and untied the many ribbons off the box. Sitting in the middle of it was a charm necklace, quite similar to his. A red one, possibly a part of an old shell which was shaped up and polished to perfection. Wow. It was beautiful. It shone scarlet against the sunlight and had mini haiku engraved in it, which I read out loud for Gary to hear.

_"Seventeen summers, seventeen wishes. Seventeen hugs and kisses._ You're not really gonna hug and kiss me, are you?" I teased, earning myself another hair ruffling and a faint blush from the other teen.

"Maybe I'll hug you, but only once or so. I don't think I have enough badges to train and stop you from lashing out at me should I give you seventeen hugs and kisses the whole day." He joked back, grinning openly once more.

"That's a red scale necklace, by the way. I got it from Johto, just before Lance caught that red Gyarados. I made a few...changes to the scale though, namely the corny haiku. I thought the necklace would be suitable, given the colour and all."

I loved receiving gifts, but I never knew what to say when I did. _It was so nice of him to do this... _the thought kept repeating in my head.

"Thank you so much, Gary. I love it." I admitted, wondering if now was a good time for that promised hug. This time, it was my turn to blush.

"You're welcome. You deserve a great birthday, after all."

"How'd you remember? We haven't even talked for a long time. And you didn't have to prepare so much..."

The brunette smirked questioningly, as if the statement I made was completely absurd.

"Like I'd ever forget YOUR birthday Ashy. I'd do anything for my best friend. I want you to know that I care, that's all. After all, I am trying hard to make up for everything awful I've done to you. I want us to become best friends again. Alright?"

_Best friends._ He made me sound so precious and important to him. It was flattering, and I really did miss having him back.

"Now go get dressed. I'll just pack our lunch for today and we'll be off in an hour. Pack swimming gear. You'll need it." He instructed, leaving the bedroom with my finished tray of food to walk to the kitchenette.

"Where's my cake?"

He turned back to me, replying, "You'll have some later, okay?" before walking off again.

"Uuuh... Okay."

.

.

.

...Gary left me speechless. He really was trying hard to make up for all lost time and our misunderstandings. Maybe I was wrong to doubt his intentions. He was so nice to me, and he did apologize for his wrongdoing. I needed to give him a chance, at the very least.

I prepared for the day ahead of us, packing a spare change of clothes and a swimming suit likewise. Oh yeah, we're going to the beach, yahoo! I haven't gone swimming since forever! I rarely gave myself and my Pokémon some time to relax, which I needed to change should I still decide to venture the other regions after Kanto. We had some day offs here and there, but they were never as extravagant and ample in time compared to this holiday. My goals were my priority and until I've reached them, I would never stop moving forward. It was insane — my work ethic, I mean. Nothing could ever hold me back from reaching and achieving my goals. Until I've found what it is that is needed to be found, there was absolutely no way I'd give up on them.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The brunette told me that we'd be ferrying over to Chrono Island, the fifth island in the Sevii area. We arrived early at the Boon Island dock to board another one of those mini Sevii Island ferries to our target place. This time we sat inside the ferry to avoid any more water-whipping splashes from outside. On the way there we saw two fairly small islands just a few kilometers in estimate away from each other. I assumed they were the third and fourth islands, Kin and Floe Island, which we were going to visit consecutively tomorrow according to Gary.

"You're wearing it. It looks nice on you, Ashy." commented the emerald-eyed boy sitting in front of me. I figured that he was talking about my birthday gift — the red scale necklace of course. I decided to wear it along with a better looking outfit: a red and black gradiented shirt with black jeans and red sneakers. Gary on the other hand was wearing an indigo shirt with black jeans and an addition of rectangular prescription glasses I've never seen before.

"Thanks, I guess. I never knew you wore glasses."

"Well, now you do." He pointed out, slightly adjusting the way they fit his face. "I need them for when I research since my eyes have gotten worse lately. I have to wear them at least once or twice a week to correct my slight nearsightedness."

"Hmm. I bet your reading at night habit has caused that... Dear Arceus, Gary. Take care of yourself better. Do you need a babysitter or something to assign you a curfew and make sure you're tucked in come ten o'clock?"

He laughed heartily. "Only you, Ashy. Your snide presence is enough."

Gary took my hands casually in the spur of the moment and held them, warming them up in his. He was being affectionate towards me again... But I was beginning to trust him so I didn't mind his reassuring advances any longer. He wasn't hurting me;_ it was merely the opposite_, I thought as we made eye contact. Emerald eyes glistened back with adoration and something else I couldn't quite put to words. I wonder how long and how many times he'd been looking at me with that same gaze.

"Anything else you want for today? We're off to the beach, and we're gonna have a picnic at Five Isle Meadow. You must have something in mind what you want to do right? You tell me and I'll make it happen, alright birthday boy?"

Flatterer. Jerk. Flattering jerk. After years of sardonic remarks, it was slightly difficult for me to get use to him being terribly considerate. Same went for everyone when it comes to reconciling with a supposed enemy. Right? It wasn't just me feeling this way? I hoped not.

"What if I said I wanted to go skydiving? Would you make that happen?" I suggested, trying to pull his leg.

"Do you actually?"

"Well, yes I do. I've never tried it, to be honest..."

"No problem. I'll arrange for it." He finished, dropping my hands to reach for his Poké Gear. He wasn't serious about that, was he?

"Yeah, hello, this is Gary Oak. I'd like to make request for a skydiving pla—"

"Okaaay, stop it Gary, I was kidding. I didn't think you'd actually do it." I cried, grabbing the Gear from him and hanging up. Sheesh. Why was he being so... nice?

"I'm serious when I said I'd make it happen." He gave me a pointed and regretful stare. "I want you to have the best birthday ever, since I never was there for your ten previous ones. I'm really, _really_ sorry for that."

There he went again with the apologies. Sigh. I remember meeting up with him in the past and praying to Arceus Gary would return to his former self — the kind-hearted, compassionate, doting best friend whom I loved instead of being the retarded, distant jerk he became. In front of me was the long-term wish I made come true. Gary was, to be honest, an extremely soft person. He took care of me in our younger days, way before he had the ridiculous realization of "earning everyone's attention". He only ever showed me how benevolent he was and never to anyone else. I guess it was because I was special to him.

I probably still was.

We didn't finish our conversation since the ferry eventually made its arrival to Chrono Island. The journey was around forty-five minutes, I reckon. A sharp and salty breeze blew past our way as we stepped out of the ferry, further solidifying the near proximity of the sea. Yes! I could almost taste and feel the beach! I just couldn't wait! I ran out impatiently, pushing past tourists and dragging the gym leader along with me.

Gary growled unhappily at the way I pulled at his arm whilst he tried to catch up with me. "Ashy! Slow down for a minute! The beach won't run away, you know!"

I quickly shot him a narrow-eyed glare from over my shoulder. "Whatever! Just hurry up, you big Shellos!"

Hand in hand, we sprinted towards a beautiful white-sanded, deep blue-watered beach with mini hotels and swimming pools nearby. A durable wooden sign displaying the words "Resort Gorgeous" stood above us like a strong sturdy tree against a harsh storm. The sun's rays were strong enough to sear the top layer of my tanned skin, and even during the near end of summer it had enough solar power to burn the many tourists lying down on their multi-coloured beach towels like blushing potatoes. But hey, who cares about them? This was my and Gary's holiday, not theirs. Summer _plus_ this holiday _plus_the beach _plus_ MY BIRTHDAY equalled into the best equation life has ever known.

"Yeaaaaaah! We're finally at the beach! WOOOOHOOO! Gary, I'm going in! Hurry up, Slowpoke!" Without hesitation I rushed inside a changing room and swapped my red and black outfit to comfortable blue and white swimming shorts. I didn't have enough patience to wait for the emerald-eyed boy — my hyperactivity led me to canter towards the beach with open arms, immediately meeting it with an enormous splash.

When I turned around and wiped my face free of water I saw Gary staring at me with this same look and same smile I bet he saved only for me. I waved at him and caught a glimpse of his grin getting wider before entering the same changing room I was in.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I was minding my own business — swimming and splashing, butterfly and back-stroking, propelling my arms and legs around the coolness of the sea when I heard a terrifying, high-pitched squeal. Correction: I heard MANY terrifying, high-pitched squeals, consecutive to the last one and ear-shattering even under the water. Dear Arceus, I never knew humans could learn Uproar! It seemed to be coming from several of the female species on the resort bank, literally dropping down and fainting for some bizzare reason.

Was it heatstroke? I didn't even put on sunblock before going in — a consequence I had to deal with for being too impatient to do anything else but getting in the water. It was only the girls getting affected though, I noticed. What in actual hell was happening...?

"Oh my gosh, it's Gary Oak! _THE_ Gary Oak is here at the beach, and he's sooooo hot... Kyaaaaaaaa!" Somebody screamed on top of their lungs, falling hard on the grainy sand afterwards. Ouch.

"Where?! We love you, Garyyy!"

Oh. Sooo that was the occurence. Cue in the hilarity. Heh.

**Oh. **

_OH._

Hang on a minute, they were talking about Gary! Of all the places and times for a mon of fangirls to react, why here at the beach and why now? Facepalm worthy moment. Couldn't girls be trained not to break people's ears and embarrass themselves over one guy? This was my special day, not Gary's! We were supposed to be spending this day with _only_ the two of us, devoid from any Jigglypuffs on the side!

My eyes redirected themselves back to the changing rooms where Gary stood, wearing his charm necklace and a pair of indigo swimming shorts. His hair was still spiked up, and he moved so gracefully with that damn towel in his hands as though he was actually posing for the public. Being tall for his age, suitably fit and possessing features that were apparently a charm to the female population, it was fitting to say Gary was attractive and popular all year round. But I WOULD NOT STAND FOR THIS! Today was MY BIRTHDAY and if anything should go differently, those girls should _run away_ and leave the both of us alone!

I could see Gary desperately trying to avoid the insane fangirls running around, his black towel a resourceful substitution of a mask. He looked like a blind Shuppet cruising the grounds with only his feet to rely on. Was my best friend so well-known? It wasn't fair. He got the attention he wanted back then, but it didn't take a genius to figure out he wasn't enjoying it, not even. a. bit.

The pathetic excuse for humans classified as girls gave up and lost Gary in a crowd of male surfers. They decided to follow them around instead, benefitting me and the older boy alike. Unfortunately I lost track of the brunette in my pursuit to see the fangirls off. It was only when I felt a tugging at my foot which pulled me into the water that I realized that he was already next to me.

"Don't you ever do that again, Gary-BERRY!" I complained irritatedly after resurfacing from the water. Here I was worrying for his imminent, fangirl-related death and he thought it was funny to almost "drown" me when my guard was down. That wasn't cool at all! I tried to get back at him by pushing him in, but he was quick to evade my advances, swimming further and further into sea.

"Can't catch me, Ashy-love! Hahaha!"

"Why youuuuu! I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!"

I chased him around, pretending I was a Sharpedo and he was my desired prey. Insults about my swimming speed were constantly thrown around as I kept tailing Gary down. Getting riled up for his constant evasion, I wished for nothing else but to pummel that teasing smirk off his face while I lurched as close as I could get towards him. Missed again, sadly. He was always better at me in everything, and same went for today. Some things never changed.

"_Shar-shar! _Don't think you can get away from me, Gary-Berry! I will catch you and when I do, you're gonna meet the water so hard, it'll hurt!"

"Are you a Sharpedo now, huh? You're the one who has to swim faster, birthday boy! Too slow, Ashy-love!"

We played in the beach like children, despite our supposedly mature ages. I didn't receive any negative comments for my childishness from the Pokémon Researcher however. I liked hanging out like this with Gary. Seventeen or not, I was still as young as young could be. It was enjoyable and fun, just playing tag with your best friend without noone and nothing to worry about. It was like we never became rivals.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"_I give up. _Since when did you learn how to swim like Remoraid? Uuughh!" I got out of the water and lied down on the hot grainy sand, totally exhausted.

Gary followed me and we dried off for a bit. The sun was finally at its peak and it was more scorching than ever, despite summer's near end.

"I used to swim with the Omanyte I looked after, Ashy. They're really difficult to tame. For sea crustaceans, they're speedy at navigating the sea floor with only ten tentacles." clarified the gym leader, looking down on me with another one of those rare heartwarming smiles. Fleeting as they were, Gary's been happier than ever, lately. Gone were the tired eyes he used to have when I first saw him. He still had problems sleeping, but he looked chipper and brighter, and those eyebags were slowly disappearing. It was good to know he was doing well. The emerald-eyed teen lied down next to me on the sand, beaming at me from my left.

"What time are we leaving the beach?"

"Uuuh, I dunno. Depends what time you wanna go. We'll be taking a ferry back to the main island to get to Five Isle Meadow. I read that there was a monument around there — some kind of memorial pillar I believe. There's a cave that we could visit just east from here but you hate ghosts so I figured that it would be horrifying for you."

"There's a... ghost cave? WHAAAAAAT? Why?"

"I have no idea."

Ultraviolet rays were beginning to bake my skin red, so I decided to go swimming once more.

"Your turn to be Sharpedo, Gary-Berry!" I moved away from the Pokémon Researcher and swiftly returned to the sea. Gary caught up to me immediately, sadly. I swam as quickly as I could to avoid him, but he was much faster, the damn guy.

"_Shar-shar!_ I'm gonna get you, birthday boy!"

"No you're not! I'm winning this time and you have to treat me to lunch! Bahaha!"

"Let's see about that, shall we?"

After what seemed to be a few minutes later, my stamina decided to fail me as I staggered across the sea. Thankfully I saw it coming when Gary tackled me into the water, so I was prepared to brace myself from harm. We both went in, sinking into the icy blue like stones before resurfacing together in dire need of oxygen; Gary hugging me from behind for the umpteenth time.

"I got ya, which means I win and you lose. You owe me a favour now, Ashy." He boasted, his voice thick with a familiar condescending tone. That was NOT part of our deal! His treating me to lunch should still stand, likewise.

"Okay, Sharpedo." I replied, wriggling from his gradually tightening hold. "You c-caught me. Unless you're really gonna follow through the feasting process or whatever a Sharpedo does with its prey, you can let me go now."

"Sorry." He complied, releasing me free from his embrace. One hug. Sixteen more to go, or so I thought if Gary really was going through with it. Sigh of sadness.

I was beginning to get hungry for food, especially for that delectable-smelling chocolate cake Gary apparently made for me. I hadn't actually seen the cake but knowing my perfectionist type of a friend he probably bothered himself to decorate it, just for me.

"Alright then. Since you're the birthday boy, let's reverse roles for now and declare you the winner. We've been at the beach for two hours already, believe it or not. We'll swim some more if you want, then we'll get changed and walk over to the ferry dock. We need to take a short ferry trip to Five Isle Meadow, and that's where we'll have our picnic, mmkay?"

Gary was so organized. He had my birthday well planned out, didn't he? I felt so bad for not even knowing... I owed him a lot. But then again, he owed me so much more than just a birthday celebration after these past few years. I just didn't seem to care anymore though. I had my best friend back, and he cared about me more than ever.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"Why are you so popular even in here, Gary? If looks could kill, yours would be the death of the entire female populace."

The gym leader and I were happily enjoying a picnic at Five Isle Meadow. It was extremely grassy as expected, but a pastel yellow shade covered the field due to the excessive summer sun. Summer flowers thrived here and there, smudging the field with warm, rich colours. Reds, hot pinks, lilacs, vermillions. How picture perfect for the season.

For lunch we had fried noodles to go and more batches of chilli cheeseburgers that I could ever eat in one meal. Apple juice served to be a satisfying beverage, and of course for dessert we were to have chocolate cake. The cake was beautifully designed with red, white and black marzipan; illustrated words that read "Happy seventeenth birthday" neatly laid on the surface of my typical colour scheme. It was of a reasonably small size for picnic portability and it smelled aromatically pleasant. I would have killed for a bite of such a delicacy if it weren't rightfully mine.

Gary gazed at me intently while still eating his flavourful dessert. "Clearly you already know the answer to that. I didn't waste my childhood years not reaching my original goals now, would I?"

"You don't seem to enjoy it though."

A silencing pause, then he countered back at me.

"No. No I don't. Not most of it anyway. I became aware of the fact that they only cared about my status, not about me personally. I don't like that kind of attention. So uuh, more cake, Ashy? There's plenty still."

"...I'm alright."

I could tell he wasn't comfortable about touching on the subject. Gary... he seemed so lonely in reality. The "perfect-life" façade he lived to conceal his longing for someone was not going to work on me. He needed to trust me too, otherwise how could I trust him or help him? I was supposed to be his best friend, right? I couldn't just depend on him if he wouldn't depend on me too. It wouldn't be a fair and functional friendship.

"Please Gary, if there's something you wanna tell me, just tell me. We're friends. You can trust me, you know. I won't care about your flaws or mistakes..."

He placed his hand on my shoulder, rubbing it in approval. "I know Ashy. Thanks for that." Just like that, the topic was dismissed. After finishing dessert he cleaned up every container, returning it back into his helpful bag of daily things.

The summer air was ghosting upon us once every now and then, blowing my raven black hair into a mess. Gary's however stayed intact from excessive hairgelling. The weather was great. We were in a field of beautiful flowers, under a clear cerulean sky. I could stay like this forever, lying down with nothing to care about, here, in this peaceful, serene place. It was like time stopped ticking for just a moment.

"Do you have those fortune cookies, Gary-Berry?" It seemed like a great time to read a new fortune, although we made a pact to open them only after dinner.

"Sure. Want to open one? The silence is perfect for one isn't it?"

I nodded.

The brunette took one for himself, and gave me one to read. "Here ya go. On three, we open them. You ready? _One, two, three!_"

Paper amidst a floury hard shell gazed back at me. Consuming the sweet cookie, I directed my focus on the enigmatic words printed on the small note I still held.

_"What you have been searching for is closer than you think. Look around you, infront of you, nearby you, beside you. It's been with you forever, been with you all along."_

A reference to my goal? Sweeeeeet. I haven't been very focused on it so far. This holiday was supposed to take my mind of things, and it worked, much to my intention. Those words were hard to believe, but the fact that they had mentioned a goal I've been working on made them slightly more reliable, if not disorienting. I haven't gotten across reaching any titles or participating in Pokémon battles in the last three days, so how...?

Hmm.

Maybe my fortune really was right. One thing was for sure — it seemed as if it nothing was ever gone. Like I already had whatever I was looking for with me and I didn't need to travel anywhere else. I was content with today and hopefully tomorrow, yet another benefit this holiday has given me. Maybe that was what I needed? More long-deserved holidays. It seemed to be a possibility.

Meanwhile, Gary remained mute at my left, staring at the same piece of paper stupefyingly. He appeared a bit nervous and agitated, judging by the way he shook uncontrollably. Was his fortune terrible again? As jerk-faced as Gary was, he didn't deserve misfortune to grace him. Nobody did. Sure, you could argue that these fortunes were playing with our heads, but one couldn't help but wonder. Their accuracy was undoubtedly uncanny.

"Hey. How's your fortune, Gary? Mine relates to my goal. Look here." I showed him my piece of paper, half expecting him to exchange mine for his. He took mine, but he crumpled up his fortune and threw it out in the long grass.

"That's a nice fortune Ash. Lucky you. Mine was about love, that's all. Nothing to worry about, so don't fret. Love isn't something I like hearing about."

"Oh, okay then." He was slightly depressed, and I knew it. But what could I do? How could I show him I meant well and I was trying to help cheer him up? He wasn't supposed to be sad on a beautiful day such as this. He wasn't supposed to be sad on my only seventeenth birthday...

"Sooo uhhh," the emerald-eyed boy began as he stood up and held his hand out for mine. "...it's still three pm and _still_ your birthday. What do want to do, Ashy?" He inquired, shuffling uneasily and forcing a weak grin to mask his agitation. Oh Gary, why must you do this to yourself when I am right here to keep you company? I hated seeing him like this, best friend or not.

_Fine._ I'd indulge him with what he wanted, just to flatter him a little bit. Lemme see... I was in a field, it was breezy, I was bored and I wanted to cheer up a depressed Pokémon Researcher. We should play a game! We played hide and seek yesterday and it was enjoyable, even though finding Gary was something I couldn't do.

"Tag, you're IT! Better run fast to catch me, Gary-Berry!" I shouted, pinching his hand then running away. _A game ought to bring back his happy smile_, I predicted.

"Oh Ash. Seventeen already and still a baby. We're playing tag again are we, but in the grass this time, huh? You'll regret challenging me, _sweetheart!_" Gary sprinted towards me, past the yellow field of dreams and flowers that were of pastel colours. I dodged around him, taking miscellaneous twists and turns, rubbing in his failures every now and then. I was running out of breath when he reached me, tackling me into the ground which we landed softly on. Did he always tackle people when he was IT?

"GOTCHA! Caught you again, my lovely legendary." He jested, pinching my cheeks endearingly. We were half-laughing, half-panting as we laid in the grass that day. Like memories that failed to decay over time, we were still Ash and Gary, the inseparable childhood best friends who played with walkie-talkies and fought over the little things. Along with a warm chuckle, Gary's smile was back again; green eyes sparkling blithely and brighter than any star. It was nice seeing Gary smile rather than frowning, I believed that much.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

We played tag again until we literally dropped down tired from running around. Looking up at the sky I could see cumulu-cirrus clouds riding along the atmosphere; white, fluffy and spread out they were. Back when we were children, Gary and I would stare up at the sky to look for patterns in the clouds. The best ones were usually shaped like Pokémon — I saw a Blastoise-shaped one once.

I was lying down next to the Pokémon Researcher to do just that — I know, it wasn't as ideal an activity to do on one's birthday, but it was effortless. Parties were something I only enjoyed if there were a lot of food. Just hanging with Gary on my birthday was perfect. I was so childish.

"Gary... Look up there. It's a star-shaped cloud." I muttered tiringly. I could sleep right now if I really wanted to.

"Oh, nice! I see it. Can you see the one over there?" He pointed at a cute Skitty-like cloud. "It looks like—"

"—like Skitty right?" I interrupted.

"Yeah. We think alike, you and I. What about that one over there?"

"A Pidgey?"

"Yeah. The one in front of us?"

"A trapezium."

"Over there?"

"The infinity sign."

"No, it's a number eight rotated ninety degrees to the left."

"Or right."

"Exactly."

We turned towards each other in unison, giggling to ourselves before pools of chocolate and jade reunited with an unknown spark. Why did I feel so... strangely... begladdened, just being _here..._ with him?

Gary was solemnly whispering words which I found hard to decipher while I wallowed in this feeling. "So, Ash. How's your goal coming along? Have you found your missing piece yet?"

"_No._ Not yet sadly. I'm on a break remember?"

"You're gonna keep finding it once this holiday is over, aren't you?"

I scratched my head laughingly. "Yup. I sure am. I can't stop travelling until I find it — that was a promise I made to myself. I don't even know if it's Pokémon related or not. It must be, otherwise why would I still go on my repeated journey?"

"I get you..."

He shifted even closer to me, a feeling of serenity wafting over us. Why couldn't... I point out... what in Arceus I was... _feeling..._

"G-Gary?"

"What is it, Ashy?"

"You wanna know what's weird?" I had no idea why I was confiding this information to him, but I was and there was no stopping myself. "It's like I don't even need to search for it anymore. I feel as if it's so close by that it's almost... _already with me..._ But I don't know for sure, of course. I still need to find it, or know what it is for that matter."

Gary nodded understandingly. I loved how I could just talk about anything and he would just listen. I thought he would judge me for throwing away my life goal for a moment. He did care about me. How I wished I could do that for him. He needed me too; he needed me to be a friend.

The brunette reached out to me, letting his hand rest on my cheek. We were so close to each other and I didn't do anything about it. I flinched just a bit, but then I realized, maybe I shouldn't have. It was just Gary, my best friend, being touchy-feely like always. I cared about him and he cared about me. He was my very best friend. And maybe we were just, meant to, well, be even _closer._ Probably. I knew I wasn't making any sense — the feeling of contentment was getting to me and making me say and think _delirious_ things.

"Relax Ash. There was just _something—_" he brushed his fingers against the velvet of my skin, "—a cake smudge on your face."

I had to blink twice to recap what he just said. Oh. A cake smudge. Gosh, I felt so stupid.

"I'm sorry... I'm acting really weird right now."

"It's alright. I should be the one who is sorry."

He didn't even do anything wrong and he was apologizing. Why did I make him feel so _evil?_

"Soo, uuh, let's head back to Boon Island, Ash. Are you alright with that? I want to take you somewhere."

I wanted to ask him about his life so I could get to know him better but it wasn't exactly the best time to do it. Instead I chose to go along with his plan to return to Boon Island, hoping I could get him to talk to him there.

Hand in hand we walked across and out of the yellow grass field, bags at our backs and not a care in the world. It took a while to get to the Chrono ferry dock — it was quite a thirty minute walk there. It took another several minutes until a Sevii Island ferry to Boon Island arrived to take us back to the said place.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

It was already five o'clock when we dismounted the ferry at the Boon Island dock. It was like déjà vu from the first day we arrived; the waves crashing down to the shore, rolling out as the water retreated back to the sea. A cool wind blew and the sun was beginning to make its way towards the west for night to come along. Gary claimed to have wanted to take me someplace, so I followed straight and he led me into this fancy looking restaurant with dimmed lights and many customers.

Even though the sun hadn't set yet, dinner was already being served in smoking plates and a dishful of trays by hardworking waiters and waitresses across the rather large space. One waiter in particular with spiky hair and ocean-coloured eyes directed Gary and I to a sensibly-set table for two.

"Did you book dinner at this place, Gary?"

He smiled at me, knowing I'd figured out his plan.

"Yup. Only the best for you, birthday boy. This restaurant has famous chefs from all over the world that travel to the Sevii Islands to show off their well-made cuisines. What better place to take you on your birthday than to a place full of food, right?"

Shucks. He knew me too well.

"That means it's expensive here, isn't it?" I pointed out. "I don't think I'll be able to resist buying everything and being bankrupted afterwards..."

He looked me in the eye and smirked arrogantly. "It's all on me. Nothing is too expensive if it's for you, Ashy-love. You know me: just ask, and I'll do something about it. Happy birthday, Ash. Now eat whatever you want. I'll just stick to my small portion serving plan."

Yay! FOOOD! Good quality food! The thing I loved as much as the beach and winning Pokémon battles and complete hours of sleep... This was the best birthday ever.

"If you want we'll take some home for tomorrow morning. Don't eat too much though. You might get nightmares." He finished, calling in a free waitress to take our orders.

He knew everything I wanted. I felt guilty for letting Gary baby me and provide so much for only one day, but it was acceptable I guess. It was MY birthday, after all. A birthday I even forgot about before he approached me with my favourite food for breakfast and added helium balloons all over our bedroom. It was the best one I've had so far. It was fairly simple, I wasn't alone and there weren't many people chasing after me, gifts in their hands and speeches about how old I've grown, just like in my childhood days. Just the way liked it. This whole day was perfection.

I basically ordered five whole pages of the menu as piles and piles of plates kept coming to our small table. I made this small challenge to myself to consume at least three meals before the next one came. So much for _"don't eat too much."_ I could never resist food and drink and Gary should've known that by now. The gym leader had a puzzled look on his face as the last plate came and I was able to eat it all, no leftovers. He didn't say anything though. I did the same thing with the drinks — it was a good thing some of them were served in tiny wine glasses or I may have exploded. Gary willingly paid for everything, although he refused to tell me just how EXPENSIVE everything was in total.

The older teen had to help me walk out of the restaurant, guiding me towards an abandoned park bench just nearby the beach so I could rest.

"How could you still be able to take even the tiniest of steps? If I were you, I'd die if I moved even one muscle." He exclaimed, sitting down next to me. The midnight-coloured celestial heavens made its presence known — grey cirrus clouds blocking away the view of stars. The full moon was clearly visible on the other hand. In front of us, the waves continued its dancing movement with the sand and in a small distance, a polished white gazebo stood erect to the right of a children's playground.

"Practice makes perfect I guess. You know I've always loved food." I admitted jokingly. He laughed at this, ruffling my hair yet again in the process.

We both laid our eyes upon the invisible horizon, thinking to ourselves about what could have been out there in the wide open twilight sky. It was very quiet save for the sound of the waves, and the rustling of tree leaves in the chilly gale.

"I've seen this scene before. Only Pikachu isn't here. You know what I mean, Ash?" commented Gary in a whim.

I had to think for a moment about what he said, then it hit me when I gazed at the smiling moon. "The Silver Conference right? That night before the battles began?"

"Yeah. Do you still remember the beauty of the moon?"

"_Yes. _Yes I do." I beamed at him in reminiscence.

"You probably didn't know what I was telling you about the moon at the time. I swear the moon has followed us wherever we go. It knows our fears. Our secrets. It knows our goals and the effort we've put in to achieve them. Even though it doesn't know us, personally."

I turned to face Gary, taking in the happily inspired expression painted across his face. I just sat there, listening to him. I might even _discover something unknown _about him if I just let him talk, like what my yesterday's fortune said.

"You know Ash, we all sleep under the same moon. Everytime I'm in doubt and when I feel alone, I always turn to the moon. It knows me so well. I think to myself and say, "Gary. The moon is always with you. Its purpose is to give light to those who work in the dark." And just like that I'd start smiling again. A smile made simply by the moon that has always been with me, all this time."

What was Gary trying to say? I really wanted to know, but at the same time we were treading through a serious atmosphere that was too tense to be cut by a knife.

"Are— are you okay, Gary? You know you can tell me anything. Please..." I trailed off, unaware of what I wanted to hear from him.

The brunette faced me with emerald eyes, pained and desperate, as though he were about to cry. "What I really mean to say is..." He muttered, taking a deep breath to brace himself.

"You know, I really am _sorry._ For not being like the moon for you. For being _absent, _even when I promised you the world." He voiced sincerely to my face. His pouty expression and sad eyebrows were enough of an indication of how regretful he felt for everything he's done. He took hold of my hands and kneaded my palms with soft thumbs — affectionately, reassuringly, compassionately. He was sorry. And he wanted me to know that he cared.

"I'll make you a proper apology now. I've been meaning to, this whole time we've been together." Gary continued, his voice laced with aching sadness. "I'm sorry, for _everything. _For _leaving you._ For _swearing at you. _For _hurting you_ and _making you cry_ and tearing up your Bellsprout picture. It was a beautiful drawing, by the way." He still remembered THAT?

"I'm sorry for never coming to your birthday parties, or for tripping you over when you walked by. I'm sorry for secretly laughing when you fail and fall and for making you angry. I'm sorry for calling you names. I'm sorry for stealing away your dreams from you but knowing you, Ash, you would never ever give up on something, ever. I'm sorry for telling lies about you. For mocking you and telling you that you suck at Pokémon battling when in fact you aren't because you are better than me. I'm sorry for calling you a loser. For bragging about being the awesomest person in the whole wide world and for doubting the friendship we had. I'm sorry for being blind, for not seeing you were always there for me when I needed you, for disregarding you, for replacing you. Most of all, I really am sorry for disowning you as my friend. Ash, you are my best friend. My only friend. I care about you even if I forced myself not to. We grew up together. And we'll be best friends forever, like they say, _right?_" Tears prickled from his eyes as he croaked out those last words. "I promise you Ash Ketchum, even if it was the last thing I could ever do in this lonely life of mine, I would never, ever, _ever_ leave you alone. Ever again."

Before I knew it, my arms were thrown around him, caressing his soft hair and face to calm him down. It was a first — I wasn't a cuddler like he was and I didn't particularly allow anyone to be so close to me, but it was nice. He in return hugged me back just as tight, whimpering on my shoulder and letting all his feelings out. I stroked his back with tender touches to let him breathe and just chill from such a gutsy thing to say.

"I forgive you Gary. We're best friends and I care more about the good times than the bad. I missed you too, so it's okay now. I believe you. _It's okay._"

The brunette wasn't as stoic with his emotions like most people thought. He was soft and sensitive, but only with me and only to me. I had no idea how he could pretend to be so strong. He probably had to for his reputation.

"_Ashy..._" He mumbled quietly. We were still in each other's arms. I didn't want to let him go for fear that he would break. He needed this right now. He needed me.

"What is it?" I cooed. Did I know he was going to apologize again? _No, _no I didn't.

"I'm sorry about the sudden personality change. I'm never like this. And I won't be anymore since I don't want to worry you."

The feeling of contentment... of happiness... of sure safety... was _overwhelming..._ And I didn't know what else to feel... _but warmth._

**~o~**

"Ashy, I still have one more present for you. How 'bout we stand in that gazebo? The night sky's very pretty today." He finished, smiling bravely at me.

We broke off our hug and he took my hand, leading me towards the monument of wonder. He bent down to grab something from his bag — another box the size of a shoebox, this time wrapped in white with blue ribbons.

"This is your main gift, by the way. I wanted to give it to you till last." Gary admitted. "Close your eyes when you open it. I hope you take good care of it."

I opened the box, disappointed to find out the treasure was still wrapped in newspaper. It was of a sphere-shape, a ball perhaps? With both hands and closed eyes, I tore through every last newspaper piece until they were gotten rid of.

It felt cold. Two bulky things stuck out at the top part of it, and in the middle I could feel the engravement of a letter. It was a Pokéball alright, but what kind?

Through half lidded eyes I peered at the purple and pink ball cupped between my hands; its exterior gleaming and shiny.

No _way._

It couldn't be.

But it was.

I even blinked at the thing numerous times to make sure it was real.

I wasn't _dreaming._

It was a Master Ball. A one and only rare Master Ball, a ball so rare there were only five known to man. It could catch any Pokémon without fail, and it was so rare not even the most elite of Trainers have seen it for real or even touched its shining metal.

"For the one and only best Pokémon Master in the entire universe. Happy birthday Ash."

I started crying. And yes, I was a seventeen year old boy, but the "boys don't cry or have emotions" myth was and is utterly wrong. I was so happy, I gave Gary another hug, squashing him against me and nuzzling into his neck.

"Thank you thank you thank you **thank you! **You're the best, Gary! Thank you so much. _Thank you..._for making my birthday _amazing._"

It was so superficial, but having and owning a Master Ball was something to brag about. Especially if you loved everything about Pokémon Training like I did.

The emerald-eyed teen wiped away my tears of joy and hugged me back once again. I actually did not mind being next to Gary, having him so close, _too close_ for comfort. It was like I was meant to be that near, like I belonged beside him. He was my best friend of course. We were supposed to be together. _Together... always._

"To be honest, Ash, there's a Pokémon inside. I'd like you to have it. No trading machines or anything. It's yours. Please, I want you to take care of ot. You've met it before of course, and it'll love you. You'll love it too. Promise me you'll take care of it." He made me swear.

"I promise. Can I meet him, Gary?"

That made it even better. I had a new Pokémon friend! That was cooler than just having a Master Ball. Gary let me go, giving me a chance to meet the lucky creature.

"Master Ball, go!"

The purple ball went up in the air gracefully, releasing a ray of red into the sky before falling down into my hands.

"Hi Ash... We meet again..." A yellow and white star-like Pokémon cried happily, floating towards me to give me a hug.

Jirachi... the wish Pokémon. A legendary Hoenn Region Pokémon. A legendary._ Oh. My. Gosh. _OF ALL THINGS.

Jirachi nuzzled into my neck, mewling. "You're my new trainer! Yay! I'm so glad it's you Ash, and not somebody I didn't know! I've never had a trainer before. Take care of me please! I'm so glad to share my loyalty with you!"

I loved it already...

The levitating legendary turned to my best friend for a courtesy.

"Gary, thank you thank you! Now I'll be safe and sound. Thank you so much for giving me a good trainer!" Jirachi gave the brunette a warm hug as well. How adorable! I was so honoured to take care of it. So very honoured, it made me start crying again.

"Aww, please don't cry, Ash! I won't be a bother!" The wish Pokémon muttered in reassurance.

"No, Jirachi... _'S not like that..._"

Gary enclosed me into another embrace, only this time he was the one comforting me. "Just like the moon I love so much, I want Jirachi to be your guiding star. He can grant you any wish, but you should wish wisely since you can only wish once. Right, Jirachi?"

"Yup! That one wish will be the cause of a new Jirachi born. Your wish is my life. I'm willing to give it to you because I know you'll take care of me."

Wishes. I could wish for anything. Anything at all. But we've only just met after a long time and I refused to let Jirachi disappear for a simple wish. I'd save it of course. For when I needed it the most, or maybe I would never use it. **Never.**

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

When Jirachi went back to sleep, Gary and I made our way back to our hotel room to rest as well. It was as if everyday was always so tiring and enjoyable that getting home meant only to rejuvenate our energy. I was too lazy to take a shower so I just crashed on my bed, not even caring about anything.

"Gary-Berry..." I whispered in a hypnotic daze from being extremely worn out.

"Yeah, Ash. What is it?"

I laid there gawking at the ceiling tiredly, stammering with all the energy I had left. What I had to say was true. I never did have the chance to ask him about anything.

"It's not fair, you know...You know all there is... to know about me so far and I... haven't even heard many of your stories. Do tell me what types... of Pokémon you have, or what your research is on... or even what you like eating or doing in your free time. I wanna know you too, Gary... Tell me what you like and hate and any great... discoveries you've made. Please... we're best friends, aren't we..."

He smiled gladly back at me, brushing away strands of my raven hair to look into my hazel orbs properly.

"Tomorrow Ash. I promise. I'll tell you everything tomorrow. You rest up now, okay?"

"We'll be seeing Pikachu... and Eevee tomorrow... aren't we, Gary-Berry..."

"That's right. Now go to sleep. We'll be obstacle course running tomorrow and visiting a snow-filled cave. Goodnight, Ashy-love. Happy birthday."

"Yay..." I managed to say, drifting off slowly to sleep. "That's so cool... I miss my Pokémon so much... I wish Jirachi could come... but people will question his presence... Goodnight Gary-Berry... Thank you for my... wonderful birthday celebration. You're the best."

Gary slept immediately also, that is, after he tucked me in. One last time he wished me a happy birthday, even though in three hours it wouldn't be my birthday anymore.

_What a turn of events,_ I thought to myself. It was truly the best birthday I've ever had. It made me wish that my other days would be as amazing as today was. I'd never forget it of course, and the efforts my best friend went through to make it memorable and at the same time, to make that heartfelt apology to me.

We were finally friends again — officially, mentally and physically, not just some one sided belief we dreamed of substantializing. It was better than everything I ever wanted. I absolutely loved it and I wished I could relive the day once more, a day when everything finally felt right. That day was none other than the most special day to me... The day of my one and only seventeenth birthday.

* * *

**I KNOW. I AM DESPICABLE FOR WRITING WHATEVER IT WAS I JUST WROTE. Asdfghjkl. *shields self with Sasuke-kun to avoid tomatoes* **

**On the other hand of this relatively fast update, I may take a while to get the next one up. This was the last chapter I stopped writing at and Chappie Six has yet to come into existence. I hope you wait for it, dear readers! I'm really sorry I'm slow at this. *tries to escape school's Curse attack***

**Until the next time, loves! Smell ya later!**


	6. Right In Front Of You

**(March 11, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 6.)**

**Hazza, it's ChiiRyeeBiee. How's 2015 going for you? Finally getting my hands on this seriously late chapter, woot woot! (I SPENT FOREVER SLAVING OVER THIS. I AM SO FREAKING GLAD IT'S FINISHED.) I seriously need to practice these scenario and character jumps from one story to another.**

**I would really like to thank everybody for favouriting/reviewing/following this story. It really makes me giddy to know my mind's word spew isn't completely useless. Haha~ You guys are c'est fantastique!**

**Also, some few pointers: just so everyone knows. I'm taking their relationship really slow in this, and I apologize. My Ash is snarky and assertive for a change and he doesn't trust Gary so much yet. It's a component. Despite this, I hope you'd still stick around till the (very very FAR, according to my blueprint anyway) end.**

**Okay, now the warnings phase: Expect berry references, competitions, drowning-in-"the-Nile" Gary and asdfghjkl nicknames. This is shounen-ai or yaoi or however you want to call it (same diff to me, end of story.) and I don't own Pokémon. I hope this chapter's just as awesome as you are! :D**

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**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter Six: Right In Front of You (Gary's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

I've done it.

I've apologized to him. I've made his birthday the best one he ever had.

I didn't expect myself to be so emotional over it, but that was a blatant lie. Whenever I was around Ash, I didn't know exactly how I was feeling. I could have felt happy, or sad. I could have felt regretful, nostalgic, self-conscious, or even terrified of making a mistake. He made me... just... feel different. Sometimes I'd even have a gist of this... _this... unknown feeling_ that I've never felt before. It was a mixture of happiness, of protectiveness and contentment, and I've only ever felt it when I was around him.

I was so glad he forgave me. My pessimistic personality caused me to believe he never would, and how could he? The things I've done to him weren't exactly forgivable, and they never would be. I'd never hurt him again though. I never wanted to in the first place and I would never do it again. I refuse to go down that same road of selfishness, knowing there was no one and nothing waiting for me at the end of it.

Could I safely say that Ash and I were finally becoming close to each other again? If the sudden change of heart was anything to go by, the Pikachu Trainer seemed to be grateful for his two presents, even though one of them was a new Pokémon friend and not a materialistic thing. I thought I'd done something wrong when the waterworks started coming. It turned out that he was so happy, he had cried over how elated he was. I hadn't seen him cry like that since our younger days, back when he was still my best friend and I was still his. Never did like seeing him cry, especially if it was out of sadness and I was the cause of it.

I was lying on my bed, just thinking, even though I should have been sleeping and my brain about to get fried from my being awake for so long. This happiness and sense of accomplishment I was feeling was corrupting my mind. Playing away at the beach and the meadow was surprisingly a cheerful activity for the day, not to mention our momentary games of tag and cloud watching. Ash was seventeen already but he was still in touch with his inner child, and that made him such a positive and gleeful person to be around.

If only I could be around him forever, huh.

I slowly drifted into sleep with the thought of how things between us would be from now on. Ash had grown up and I wouldn't be able to tie him down to myself like before. I had a career of my own, and maybe once this holiday was over, the two of us could continue to hang out like this. Even if we just stayed in touch through technology, that would probably be enough.

Four more days. Through the haziness of my mind, I somehow found myself wishing this holiday would never end.

**~o~**

A whimper. An almost inaudible mewl of sadness or grief or whatever the heck it was was enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. _Great._ Three am and my head was hurting a little, roused by the aforementioned sound. If it got any louder, I'd never be able to get my resting hours back.

If I had been thinking clearly (which was not the case due to my current disorientation), I would've pieced together that said whimpers were coming from Ash. But I wasn't fully awake yet and I just wanted to go to sleep, a pillow over my head to block everything out.

Sobbing. And then I heard sobbing.

By then I knew I couldn't avoid the situation so I forced myself to sit up and assess my bleary surroundings. Displeased at being disturbed, my mood changed when tired eyes landed on Ash, shivering to himself in the darkness.

Was he okay?

With a slight stretch here I rose to my feet and walked over to his side of the bed. Crying now. I couldn't see his face but I had a feeling tears were involved. Ash kept tossing through the thickness of his duvet, adamant to fight the terrors on his own.

"He... c-can't be... gone... please don't..." a strained whisper, followed by harsh breaths of air.

Warily, I sat down on Ash's bed, extending a careful hand to rest of his shivering form. He was buried deep in his blankets, sobbing quietly. I wasn't sure if he was awake or not. The ravenette didn't seem to sense my presence, so I assumed he was still asleep.

"Shh... 'S alright now... it's okay... it's alright..." I quietly reassured him, softly patting at the blanketed lump. His shivering eased up a bit, but only to a degree.

This was like a flashback from when we were little, back when I used to be better at comforting Ash in our childhood days. During our alternating sleepovers, the guest had to sleep on a spare mattress laid out on the floor. Most of the time though, we just slept beside one another on the same bed. Ash would talk and kick in his sleep. He would sob just like this, and I would hold him close until he finally calmed down. That was my cue to snuggle beside him until we fell sleep together. Back then, I was his protector and not his worst enemy. Back then, I was the one who took care of him and not the one who caused him his misery.

The boy quibbled pitifully, shifting recklessly from side to side. It surprised me enough to draw back my hand on reflex. This was getting depressing. Peeling off the duvet from the hazel-eyed teen's body, I finally noticed he was burning up — sweating and whimpering with his fringe sticking to his skin and knees curled within himself. I still couldn't get a glimpse of his face as fisted hands were drawn close to his eyes.

"'M sorry... so sorry... 'S all my f-fault..."

My heart sank. I had no idea what he was dreaming about but I felt responsible and extremely terrible. Now wasn't even a good time to admit I told him not to eat so much, the stubborn boy. I leaned closer, a hand running through his raven locks of hair; the other curling against one of his hands. With a delicate voice, I continued to whisper hushed reassurances, pitying phrases of "it's okay, everything's going to be fine".

_You're gonna be fine, Ashy. I'm right next to ya. Just here... I'm just here..._

Ash stilled after a few moments, his chest rising and falling more evenly as he returned to a better sleeping state. I had no idea why I felt this desperate urge to hold him, to protect him, to stay close by, just in case the boy acted up again. Ash could take care of himself. He's done so well in my absence, and I couldn't be any prouder. Yet that quick show of vulnerability... I couldn't just go back to sleep with that in my mind. Somehow the excuse, "he was my friend and I'm obligated to stay near" was not enough to explain why I so badly wanted to be around.

Stirring to his right and thus, facing where I sat, I took the time to thumb through the now seventeen year old's closed eyes, eyelashes damp with subtle tears. One of Ash's arms shot out unconsciously, pulling me to him, as though I was his only source of comfort and protection. My whole body tensed. I could feel my cheeks warm up as I returned the gesture and gently rubbed at his back.

Oh Ashy... Arceus knew why I just wanted to hold him and let him know I was there for him... I was glad my friend was finally okay, but... I felt sort of lost, since I wasn't sure what on earth I was doing and what the heck was feeling. It was weird, like my chest was about to burst from simultaneously feeling fear and doubt and relief, and to think this person sleeping in front of me — my best friend, someone who meant so very much to me could make me feel... this way. It was terrifying and bewildering at the same time.

"Sleep tight, love." I told the boy, tucking my chin atop his head and carding through his hair with feeble strokes. This was the best friend I thought so much of. The same best friend who grew up so fast; who was getting better and better than me each passing day. To think he hated me just two days ago. All was well now. I just hoped it would stay that way even after this holiday is over.

_Please… let me hold him like this for a little longer…_

* * *

_"Your intentions of repairing a broken relationship will be fulfilled. Keep your heart open for a new possible love."_

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**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

The next time I woke up, it was to the brightness of the room, slightly burning the back of my eyelids. I could only assume the sun was already up and spending the last of its heat before autumn rolled over. Uggh... I was not fond of extremely bright mornings. There was weight on my chest and my entire body, rendering me immobile and, on the contrary, in quite a comfortable position.

_So warm... didn't really wanna move anyway..._

Drearily I blinked my eyes open, shielding them from the light while I slowly got used to it. I couldn't hear any bird choruses like I usually did in the morning. This must have been the longest I've slept in since forever, which explained my irritability for the light. I couldn't say for sure I liked this weird change, although I could account for being just a little bit more energetic and comfortable than usual.

Not only that, of course.

Ash was sleeping on top of me.

Well that explained the heavy weight and immobility. For a few seconds I tried to think back how I got into this position; even looked around to notice I was in his bed and not my own. Nightmare. Crying. Odd and guilty sense of protectiveness. The guy practically rolled over me, a leg and arm trapping me under him as he snored away contentedly on my sweater. The cinnamon smell of his shampoo was prominent under my nose.

_…aww._

Ashy was okay now… He wasn't stressed out or crying and it made me grin knowing I did that, even though he knew nothing of it. The black-haired teen, clad in his one-of-a-kind Darkrai onesie, shuffled a little, tackling an itch on his cheek before flopping back on me like a human blanket.

Cutie. Call me defiant or whatever but his rather vocal insistence to stop calling him cute wasn't enough to denounce the truth. Ash was adorable, end of story. Everyone who knew him must think so as well, right? Surely it wasn't just me.

His hair felt like soft straw in my hands. I stretched a little bit and checked my Pokétch for the time, wondering if I could let him sleep like this for a while longer.

It was nine fifteen am. Our Seagallop Ferry to Kin Island would leave at nine thirty am.

ARCEUS, WE HAD ONLY FIFTEEN MINUTES TO PREPARE!

I leapt up in a panic, disregarding the fact that Ash was still on top of me as I tossed him to the other side. The hazel-eyed teen growled none-too-happily, a lazy hand rubbing at his forehead.

"The heck... What was that FOR!? Grrr..."

Note to self: Do not toss a none-morning person like you would a duvet, lest you want a cranky ravenette sleep-hissing at you with promises to bear a grudge.

"Sorry Ashy..." I said, running around the room to stuff whatever the heck we needed into our day bags. I just grabbed the first few new clothes from both our luggage and packed it up hastily; some sunblock, coats, wallets, spare clothes, toiletries, etcetera before I flew towards the kitchen and bagged our leftovers for breakfast. Crap. Ten minutes. If it took us five minutes to leave the hotel and another to get to the dock, we might just make it. The next ferry didn't run till two hours later, and by then we would have missed the chance to visit Floe Island as well.

"What's with all the hurrying... You didn't wake up late, did you..." Ash was still rubbing the sleep off his eyes when I returned, tossing him a pair of clothes from his bag.

"I kinda did... Now we only have ten minutes before our ferry leaves and I still haven't groomed myself! Okay, nine now." Brush my teeth, then leave. My hair could survive a day without proper care.

The Pikachu Trainer finally got the idea as he threw himself into his outdoor clothes. "WHAT! Are you kidding me? Why didn't you set an alarm or something?! Oh man, I don't wanna miss out on meeting our Pokémon!" Hat on, pants on, shirt on, who the heck cared if we left this place with pyjamas strewn across the floor, we needed to leave soon and we needed to leave NOW!

"I'm sorry! It's just I always wake up so early I never set myself any alarms! Damn it, where are my shoes...!" I scrambled for the door, my socks barely on the right way. "Let's go, Ash! Arceus, we're going to be late!"

Ash and I didn't even bother to wait for the elevator. We sprinted down the stairs and through the front entrance, catching a couple of complaints here and there from the people we passed by. When exhaustion began catching up to me, the younger boy held out a hand, dragging the both of us towards the ferry dock. T'was... still... there...! Might just make it! Had to m-make it!

"Come on, Gary, run faster!" He yelled to me. "Geez, why do you run so slow when it counts? We're not gonna miss this one!" As if his own words motivated him that much further, he picked up the pace, and before I knew it we were catching our breaths at the outer most seats of the boat, relief on our minds. A minute later and the ferry took its leave.

"Don't... ever... make... me... run... like that... again..." The hazel-eyed teen puffed, clutching at his stomach protectively. "I'm not... like a N-Ninjask, you know! 'M sooo exhausted..."

Snarky as always, that Ashy. I probably would have been too if it had been the other way — waking up being tossed around my own bed and being forced to sprint quite a distance in less than ten minutes. He continued to grumble incessantly in between pants, muttering to himself about jerk bastard best friends and the things he had to do just for me. Heh. Old habits sure died hard.

It was silent between us for a while. Our journey to Kin Island was only a twenty minute ride, rocky as the ocean was. Floe Island wasn't too far from our destination either. From this distance I could just spot the towering Pokémon slide of the park; a bright yellow colour from what I remember seeing it days ago. Just thinking about finally picking up our Pokémon from the Pokémon Paradise Park spurred excitement from within me. Oh, my little Eevee... and Electivire, and Blastoise and Arcanine... Skarmory and Alakazam too. Sure, I wasn't as good a trainer as I was before let alone a perfect gym leader, but they meant the whole world to me. Just like Pikachu and his other Pokémon meant the whole world to Ash.

And just like how gaining his friendship again meant as much to me, if not more.

Upon exiting the ferry, I drew out the Sevii Island map and our itinerary from within my bag to start finding this Berry Forest place we were supposed to visit today. Kin Island was a fairly large island. According to the brochures, it was the second most populous island next to Boon Island, and was named so because it consisted of two islands, the parent and the child. It seems that we landed at the parent islet, if the buildings and tiny beachhouses around were any more of an indication. A mountain full of greenery could be admired next to the sleeping town, and was that a cave entrance? I couldn't quite see without my glasses but it sure looked like one to me.

Berry Forest was on the child islet, meaning we needed to hike all the way over there to get to today's attraction. That, or we could ride the rather colourful tour buses conveniently parked around the beach. A big sign reading, "Welcome to Kin Island, Free Rides to Tourist Spots Here!" was enough to let me make a decision. Since we were short of time, a lift would be most useful. It wouldn't hurt to make a few friends in this place either.

"Garyyyyy... are we stopping over for breakfast? 'M so hungry..." Ash wailed defeatedly, trudging over towards me with his arms sagging to the ground. Once we were facing each other, the raven-haired teen let out a begrudging whimper and leaned his head on my chest, alarming me a little.

"I need _foooooooood._"

…And that was when Ash began to animatedly sob, weak arms wrapped around himself in a pitying, _"feed me now or it'll be the end of me"_ manner.

I couldn't help it. I laughed at his weirdness. Unfortunately, laughing at him made Ash growl at me with disapproval.

"This is a life and death situation, you know! If I don't eat, I'm going to starve to death! I don't wanna die like that!"

Pfft. I liked the way he depended on me like this. It was as if he had no capability to get himself his own breakfast...

"Alright, alright. I've got something in my bag, you big baby." I patted him on the head, encouraging hazel orbs to look right back at me. "You can eat on the bus, yeah? Just let me do my thing first."

"Okay."

Heh. What the Pikachu Trainer would do for food... _freaking adorable for his own good, I swear it just wasn't fair..._

Ash followed me to the beach parking lot where some of the islanders could be seen loitering around and waiting for passengers like us. There was a line for tourists, and the two of us watched a full and eye-catching bus leave towards the town. The locals were dressed in summer clothes, not highlighter-coloured shirts with flower prints mind you, but plain undershirts and denim shorts with a comfortable pair of sandals. One of them walked over to approach us, her blonde hair tousled in a messy bun before stretching her... err... muscular arms.

"Can I help you guys? You wouldn't happen to be going to Berry Forest, are ya?" Arceus, this woman looked to have the ability to crush us both. Her intimidating physique and steely gray eyes reflexively caused me to check Ash was still behind me, that sense of protectiveness kicking in again.

"Umm, actually we are." I responded, showing her our itinerary. "We're supposed to be in the ten thirty program of the Berry Forest Adventure Park? It's not terribly far, is it?"

The woman squinted at the booklet, an eyebrow raised. "Oh. The obstacle course program huh... Well, no. It's not too far. About a fifteen minute distance, if you count the uphill and downhill slopes plus the bridge. Come over to my ride, free of charge. Kin Island special service, if you must know."

"Well then, err, that would be lovely, thanks. Come on Ashy, let's go."

She grinned, striding towards a Ho-oh printed tour bus. Ash was so in awe of the detailed print that he actually approached it and poked the walls of the vehicle curiously.

"Wow! It looks so live-like and colourful! I saw a Ho-oh once from a distance. Whoever painted this must be so talented..." He admitted. The woman just chuckled, claiming that there were some self-taught artists residing on the island who were glad enough to use the local buses as their canvases.

The inside wasn't different from a normal bus, although it did have a nice jasmine scent to it. Ash and I took the front seats. Another family or two were ushered inside after a few minutes before the ride left for the journey ahead.

"Good morning passengers, this is your tour bus driver Kayla, at your service. Welcome to Kin Island. How are you all today? Our destination, the famous Berry Forest for the ten thirty program, yes?"

A variety of enthusiastic to lazy yes'es echoed through the walls of the bus. The Pikachu Trainer was sitting to my left with his head leaning against the window, observing the fading town structures and passing island trees. The woman who called herself Kayla continued to talk over the bus speakers with historical details of her homeland and key attractions we may think of revisiting.

"Ashy-love, look here."

"Huh?" He turned around suddenly, just enough time for me to snap a photo of him and his silly-looking face.

"HEY!" The hazel-eyed teen attempted to steal the camera back. "That's so not fair! That's **my** camera; delete that! Lemme see!"

"No way. This is revenge for taking a weird photo of me getting waterfalled at! Besides, who else will see this besides us?"

He frowned, dismissing the topic with a hand wave. "You make that sound like a bad thing. _Our secret holiday... no one must know about it..._ pfft."

"Besides us." I corrected, digging through my knapsack some more to retrieve that container of leftovers. "Here ya go. Eat slowly or you'll choke, mmkay?"

"FOOOOOD! YUSSS! I'm saved!"

The boy took it abruptly, shoving its contents down his throat so voraciously it would put a Gulpin to shame. Hmph. Well, there goes my wordly advice for the day; in through his head and out like the previous, "don't eat too much or you might have nightmares". If Ashy-love ever kicked the bucket, Arceus forbid, I wouldn't be surprised if the cause was by food.

It wasn't until he finished eating that I realized we've arrived at our destination. Kayla was assisting the other passengers with their luggage as said tourists made their way outside the bus. End of summer or not, the outdoor breeze was still as warm and humid as the middle of July. I must have been so distracted that I didn't feel the sudden stopping of the vehicle or hear the skidding of the tires. _Talk about unfocused..._

"Well. Here we are!" The woman boomed cheerily. She was stretching her arms again, as if ready to beat someone up, I wasn't sure. "Welcome to the entrance of Berry Forest! See that doorway over there?" She pointed to a large wooden arch, healthy Grepa vines curled up around it. "Berry Forest Adventure Park", the sign read with clear violet paint. "Well, through that's your place! This parking lot's got a lot more buses coming later, so if you ever need a ride back to the port, just holler."

"Sure. Thanks for the ride, Kayla. It was nice meeting you." I told her, extending a hand out of courtesy. Ash stood behind me, busy packing up his breakfast container back into my bag. Kayla smiled back as she took my hand.

"No problem. From Kin Island to you, we salute with our kindest regards! Have fun on your day trip!"

_Damn... That woman had a strong grip..._

**~o~**

Ash and I said our farewells to her, watching her drive off into the distance before making our way through the entryway. We had to walk a metre or two upwards a dusty gravel road before we saw anything spectacular. Cries of Aipoms and Seedots resounded through the canopy of tall trees, some Butterfrees flying just above us. And lo and behold, we were greeted with the sight of tree-high obstacles — sturdy rope and log bridges, bungee jumping madness, children swinging by happily in ziplines as Emolga guided them around. Wall climbing was available for both teens and adults and abseiling down a formidably high wall for those who dared. There were fourteen-metre high ladders to a skyscraper-like pole; the jump down almost impossible to make. And of course, to live up to its good name, several Berry trees of all kinds decorated the vast woods.

This was one insane adventure park.

Like a child let loose at a candy store, Ash gasped at everything with pure excitement. His favourite settlement so far was the simple food shack serving none other but berry dishes, berry salads, berry smoothies — whatever the heck you could think of, as long as they had berries. With the countless trees providing perfect shade for a summer day such as this, it wasn't so sunny, if you could disregard the warm breeze toasting your skin. Today was going to be perfect. Let the adventure begin.

"Come on Gary-Berry, let's go! _Hang on hang hang on_, oh Arceus, ha ha, that's too precious... _Get it?_ Gary-_Berry?_ Hah!" He joked to himself, dragging me towards a shaded building next to the berry shack. I supposed it was the entrance office, if the forming line wasn't enough to inform me this. The families we accompanied on the bus were just ahead of us, chatting about _berry this_ and _berry that_.

_Geez, enough with the berries already..._

Soon enough, it was our turn to present our tickets, and within minutes the staff of the facility eagerly ushered us into a large room to put on our harnesses and safety equipment. Dear Arceus, save my soul, we had to wear labelled helmets. Labelled helmets that undeniably resembled berries. So of course Ash couldn't help but to crack up at how stupid I must have looked, snugged up in heavy ropes and hooks and belts and a scarlet-coloured Cheri Berry helmet, complete with the curly stalk. And yes, I was wearing a _Cheri_ Berry helmet... labelled _"Gary"_. Cue in the extreme hilarity of its rhyme, ha ha. **No.**

At least I wasn't the one wearing a scaly Durin Berry helmet, prickles and all.

"Gary-_Cheri_-Berry, where to first?" Ash sing-songed heartily, chuckling with mirth as we walked out of the building. Somehow I now really regret calling him Ashy-boy all those years ago... "I bet you I can race you through every obstacle in this park. I mean, I did beat you fair and square in the Extreme Pokémon competition without knowing much about it."

"Oh, so you think you're so good at everything now, huh?"

"Hey, you yourself admitted I was better than you. Best friends or whatever now but you'll always be the only one who's worthy to be called my rival." Shiny hazel eyes studied my widening emerald ones, his smile infectious and his words sincere. I looked away.

Tch. _To say something like that about me with that cutesy face of his... this warm fluttery feeling in my chest..._

Ha ha... _what the hell was happening..._

"Okay, okay. You got me there. Challenge accepted, Ashy-love." I said, my back turned to him to hide what must have been the stupidest expression plastered on my face. I tried to distract myself from... this weirdness by finding the perfect obstacle to start with. Pointing at the activity of interest, I asked, "Wanna go bridge crossing? You're not too bad with heights, are you?"

"We went mountain climbing two days ago."

"Riiiiiiight. Just making sure you didn't somehow develop a phobia that may lead to your defeat."

"WHY YOU—! Oh, the challenge is _on_!" Ash protested, sprinting towards the nearest platform to climb. He practically ran across the log bridge and back, an in-your-face finger directed at me from above. "I can do the rope bridge too! Hah! And the disc bridge, and the single-roped bridge! I'M NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!"

"OKAY! I GET IT! JUST STRAP YOURSELF CAREFULLY ON THE SAFETY LINES! I CAN'T HAVE YOU FALLING, ALRIGHT?" That raven-haired boy was going to be the death of me.

Finding myself a platform to climb, I followed Ash's tracks through several of the bridges, double-checking my harness was tightened properly and I was safely secured on the safety line. There were staff littered around every platform, ready for accessible assistance. I was ten metres high up in the air with nothing but these ropes to rely on, so one couldn't be too careful. Occasionally the wild Pokémon would drop by to say hello. I was becoming fond of this one Venomoth fluttering around, squeeing in delight after every obstacle I completed.

"Ashy! Wait up! Where the heck are you?"

A faint, "At the ziplines! Hurry up, Slowking!" answered me back. I had to wait for the other tourists to make their way across the Mankey vines before I could get that far.

Five panicking people later, I went through the activity with little difficulty (As a Pokémon Researcher, it was important to be able to move through such hurdles) until I could spot Ash standing by the zipline platform.

"Took you a lot of time to get here!" He scoffed, readjusting his Durin Berry helmet. That green-checkered polo he wore really matched it. I for one was stuck with a plain indigo t-shirt and this stupid Cheri Berry helmet. The Pikachu Trainer snapped his fingers to get my attention.

"Gary-Cheri-Berry? Are we going through or not?" His ropes were already attached to the safety line just above every obstacle. "I think this one leads to the ground so we can try rock climbing or that terrifying pole thing. Take the other zip. I'll race you!"

_Were Ash's eyes always that deep, deep shade of sienna brown?_

"Yeah. Okay. Going." Distractions, distractions. If I fell from this high up, it would be all my fault and no one else's.

"Alrighty then! On three, when you're ready." Ash called out, gloves tightly holding the zip swing. Just triple-checking that my rope was secured on the safety line.

_I swear, they used to be just normal brown eyes. Why the heck did they look so appealing now?_

"Ready, Ashy-love! You're going down!"

_Then there was that illuminating grin of his..._

He blew me a teasing raspberry. (Oh crap, back were the berry references again.) "No way! You'll have to fall first!" the ravenette argued back.

_I think I'm falling..._

_...falling..._

_First, and fast. Just at the edge of this cliff, hanging tight. What would happen if I let go?_

"THREE!" A stolen glance at my best friend, giving him my warmest smile.

"TWO!" Gloved hands at the ready, my left foot a bit behind me, ready for a giant jump.

"ONE!"

_If I hit the ground first, then I'd know._

We left the platform with equal strides, yelling "Articuno!" as we swooped past the canopy of trees.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"I still landed first, Ashy-love." I told him on the way to what the hazel-eyed teen had dubbed the "Berry Awesome Food Shack". After landing from the zipline (a challenge which I so graciously won though Ash begged to differ), we dove straight into tire hopping and abseiling — the ground-based activities in Berry Forest. Being the competitive weirdo he was, I dared the guy to climb the terrifying high pole obstacle and jump off it if he could. Ash did it, surprisingly, his feet planting on the landing site so uniformly the staff had to commend him for braving the, and I quote, "deadliest obstacle in the whole adventure park". Heh. If they knew the hazel-eyed teen was terrified of a haunted house, such praise would never be heard of.

We also tried bungee jumping in a small clearing, the place not so inhabited with trees lest we hit ourselves on one like a blinded Ambipom. I had to bring up the "F" word to drag the seventeen year old from dominating the place, though. I had to admit, the first few jumps almost paralyzed me (even with the Cheri Berry helmet on, much to my humiliation) but after a few more, they got better. Yet after two hours of non-stop activities, some food (heh, even berry dishes would suffice) was in dire need to replenish my energy.

"No way!" My friend stubbornly rebutted, waving a hand dismissively. "I touched the ground first! If I asked a nearby staff, they'd say my awesome shoe won, that's what!"

"That was an hour ago. You really think they'd remember something so stupid?"

"Not as stupid as your Cheri Berry helmet, Gary-_Cheri_-Berry."

"Stop calling me _that_!"

"Nuh-uh. I won, which means I get to call you Gary-Cheri-Berry _whenever_ I want. That's _final_." Ash stomped off towards the counter of the berry shack, already ready to devour half the menu again.

I got myself a Salac Berry pie, noting the impressive sweetness and texture of the dish despite research claiming Salac Berries had a sour aftertaste. It seemed each Berry grown in this forest was purely organic, for the displayed samples I've been seeing around the place were ripe and strongly-smelling fruits. It was perfect for the wild Pokémon living around and undeniably healthy for human ingestion. If only I could get my hands on some seeds I could plant some of these in the garden back at my gym.

"MMM! This Drash Berry smoothie is _soooooo_ good!" The boy sitting across me mumbled with another silly "_food-is-my-life"_ expression. Our table was filled with his orders — Watmel Berry cookies, Mago Berry sundae, Qualot Berry salad, Pecha Berry galettes... He was already onto his Bluk Berry nutbar when I'd barely started my Pamtre Berry shake. Greedy glutton.

After another activity or two I reminded Ash of our plans to leave the adventure park as soon as we could to give us ample time to visit Floe Island. A three thirty slot on our itinerary informed me of our next attraction, Icefall Cave it seemed, a stalagmite and stalactite famous tourist spot. Daisy told me there was a mini waterfall inside the cave, hence its namesake. When I told Ashy about it, his hazel orbs lit up eagerly, eager to see this breathtaking sight.

Kayla dropped by half an hour later as she promised, taking us and another few passengers back to the Kin Island dock. The ravenette was kind enough to lend me the window seat this time. Distractions averted on our drive back, I took my time to marvel at the island scenery, like the tropical trees coming and going, budded with a variety of iridescent flowers. I took in the sight of dusty, gravel walkways splitting up from the main road, and an admirable rocky mountainside, its structure changing every once and a while as we drove further away from the child islet and towards the industrialized town. It wasn't until I felt a weight on my shoulder that I directed my attention towards Ash and whatever the heck he was doing.

"Gary... tell me more about you. You promised to last night, didn't you?" He started, stretching his arms out in front of him as he bent over to touch his shoes. "What do you like to research on? Any particular hobbies, besides being a complete jerk most of the time, of course?" He scooted a little closer, but I took no notice of it.

"Heh, are you asking because you can't find anything else interesting to do on this bus ride?" I drawled on, smirking ten-fold at the scowl he shot me back.

"Make that complete jerk ALL the time, Mr I-Think-I'm-So-Awesome-Just-Because-Ashy-Love's-Asking-About-Me."

Did he just refer to himself as my new pet name for him? Cute. He leant back on his chair and yawned, eyeing me inquisitively.

"Well? You gonna answer me or not?"

"Okay. Whatever you say, _sweetheart._" I threw an arm around him and took off his favourite hat.

"Whaa—? _Gary-Cheri-Berry!_ Give it back! And _gerroff me, you_!" Ash harrumphed irritatedly.

So I told the ravenette of my findings, the things I enjoyed doing and my memorable moments, events and stories I thought he would find interesting. I told him about my affinity for ancient materials and how I looked forward to visiting the Tanoby Ruins at Quest Island. I told him about this one trainer who thought he could beat me with a Rattata alone (he laughed at this, so he probably knew the weird kid) and my secret fear of Joltik (those things were EVIL!), plus how I encountered his little Jirachi in detail. And even after we left the bus and boarded our ferry to Floe Island, Ashy kept listening to me, as if he was really in awe about how my Skarmory had helped with the Nidoran hatchlings and how Grandpa often visited to take me fishing (the old man was close to retiring).

It didn't faze me at all, how much I was telling him about and if he'd, I dunno, use this information against me one day. I was happy to be able to talk to Ash about everything. He shared a little bit of himself as well — of the rivals he bragged he was better than and how he'd come close to winning every league tournament.

"…I just thought I should retravel every region, yeah? I don't regret spending all these months chasing after something so impalpable one bit." Ashy said as we neared the Floe Island pier in a decelerating glide. He'd been eyeing the beautiful paradise park for quite some time now, and judging from the way his eyes sparkled like that, I had no doubt he was inwardly glad to be finally seeing Pikachu and his other Pokémon again.

"How about you, Gary? What are you gonna do after this holiday is over?" Hazel eyes glazed over, blinking at me, the most priceless smile I'd ever seen painted on his face. I'd never get tired of that, ever. He was so beautiful and he didn't even know it. Arceus, I felt myself heating up.

"Err, not sure, to be honest." I scratched at my ungelled hair. "I'd probably wait on for more challengers at my gym, possibly write a report or two about my findings on Quest Island. Heh, I bet there're procrastinating trainers visiting Viridian right now, desperate for a battle before the Indigo League tournament."

"Too bad for them, the Viridian Gym Leader's mine for the rest of the week!" he cackled, leaning against the railings of the ferry as he declared this to the ocean.

Pfft.

Silly Ash and his loud-mouthed self.

Tch.

Weirdo. Saying things like I'm _"his for the rest the week"_. Pah!

For the second time that day I had to conceal my flushed face from the seventeen year old, or at least that's what I thought it felt like. The ferry was seconds away from docking so without further ado, I grabbed hold of Ash's hand and pulled him towards the exit before the other tourists could flock around it. "Come on. Two thirty's not far. There's a bridge we need to find and cross to get there."

He clutched my hand tightly, a thumb patting the back of it as we left the pier. "Gary, stop panicking and chill. The cave's not going anywhere." Heh. Says the most impatient and hot-tempered person I knew. Hmph, if he only knew, pfft. _What was wrong with me, seriously…_

Floe Island: the smallest landmass of all seven islands and famous for its juxtaposing chilly weather despite its tropical location. Its main attractions: the Icefall Cave to the east and the rather extravagant Pokémon Paradise Park to the west. Its trees were littered with periwinkle-coloured flowers, dubbing the place a "true blue" paradise. Ash let go of my hand to take some pictures. I watched the hazel-eyed boy skip off here and there, snapping endless photos with his newfound exuberance.

"Man, if only I could let Jirachi see this! He'd love it for sure!" **Snap! **Another perfect shot of the clear lake from both sides of the narrow bridge. Woopers and Psyducks splashing around merrily, their parent Pokémon not far behind. An icy breeze blew past as we neared the cave. There were a few tourists scattered around the entrance, chattering loudly, putting on a jacket or hoodie as protection from the cold. Some even looked as though they just went for a swim or something. Hmm.

"Ashy, suit up. We'll be going in soon." I instructed the hazel-eyed teen as he followed me towards a building separated from the caves.

**~o~**

The two of us were only a fraction of a small tour group gathered at the front of the cave for our booked session. Four lasses, chatty and equally annoying, were pretending to admire the rock formations of the cave walls as they not-so-subtly tried to get close to me. The last few people we waited on was an old couple and a small family of three before the tour guide, some dude called Nathan with dreadlocked hair and glasses, led us through the place. He asked us to leave most of our belongings at the Icefall Cave Center, bringing only cameras and our wallets just in case they "acquire damage" during the tour.

An echoing sound of heavy water crashing onto iced-up rocks resounded through the walls, increasing in volume as we neared the point of interest. A waterfall, majestic as it seemed in the brochures. Inside the spacious cave was another lake, complete with a home-dwelling pack of Seels, the tour guide informed. Simply spectacular, really. We were loaded onto one large boat heading towards a narrower river path, leading us to dry land, I hoped. There were little puddles of water under my shoes, and it made me wonder how it got there if the sides of the boat were so high. It wasn't dark at all inside as tiny traces of sunlight poked through the holes of the cave top, reflecting off the ample collection of stalactites. Nathan brought this to our attention as we looked up, cameras out and gasping with amazement.

"Gary, it's so beautiful…" Ash cried happily while he snapped a dozen more shots of the sight. "I can't believe I almost missed out on seeing this because of my headstrong determination to compete in battles…"

I shuffled closer. "Well, at least you're seeing it now. It's good to just enjoy life, right? To experience the now and worry about the later, well, later. But you're lucky, in a way, since you get to travel to many places." I scuffed my shoes on the bottom of the boat. Ash nodded, flashing me another one of his to-die-for grins. Nathan continued to point out facts about the caves as Ash and I talked with one another.

"Thing is, you've got a fixed destination compared to me. You've got some place to call a home. That's a good thing too, right?"

I thought about it for a while. Yeah, it was true. But I didn't think Viridian was much of a home, without someone to call it home with at least…

The narrow path did indeed lead us to dry land, both rocky with stalagmites — ranging from toddler height to teeny buds of never-melting ice – and smooth as a pathway was paved along the structures for easier trekking. Some of the larger stalagmites were sculpted into life-size shapes of famous people (there was one of Grandpa, ha ha ha!) and Pokémon alike. The most magnificent of all was the Articuno sculpture sitting at the center. Even its claws were intricately traced onto the ice.

"Lorelei, one of the Kanto Elite Four, has been a great inspiration to the conversion of this place," Nathan had said. Now if there was a shrine for Zapdos, a tribute to all three legendary birds would be complete. "The Articuno sculpture was the last to be made over a span of sixteen months." Pretty long to create such a spectacle, if you asked me.

Further beyond was a souvenir shop (how they built it without disrupting the natural structure of the cave was beyond me) which the Pikachu Trainer insisted we stop by at for some stuff. "Oh, a Seel doll!" exclaimed Ash, careful not to slip as he jogged towards it. He grabbed one from the shelf, looked around cautiously for any bystanders then proceeded to stroke the Ice Pokémon's soft fur.

Aww.

"Want me to get that for your growing collection, _Aaashy-love~_?" I asked lightheartedly. He shook his head quickly, returning the doll to its proper place with a pout.

"No..." He mumbled in a tiny voice. "I don't collect plushies, jerk bastard. I just thought it looked soft, is all." Tch, as if that ridiculous excuse would fool me.

In the end I bought the thing for him, plus two snow globes of the cave — one for each of us. It was totally worth it seeing that smile on Ash's face, the genuinely ecstatic one I just couldn't get enough of. Some of our companions went as far as to pay for a personal ice sculpture or engraving to mark the cave with. This cavern was vast in both space and ice so I wouldn't be surprised if so many tourists could leave solid proof of their visitation with more to come.

Our tour guide escorted our group back into the boat after some time. We zoomed past the chilly lake and into another tunnel leading to the entrance. "Please secure your belongings in the waterproof bags provided and hold on to the railings as tightly as you can." He instructed us halfway through the darkness. "You're in for a bumpy ride."

Ash panicked, doing as he was told before clinging to me like a lifeline. He didn't like the dark. The lasses were wailing, scaring Ash all the more while the old couple braced themselves with sheer nonchalance. "Good thing I wore my snowcoat, Jerry. Always good for water-based rides."

This wasn't in the trip plan. _Were we really...?_

The boat ride back gradually increased in turbulence. Water occasionally gushed along the port and starboard, with unexpected twists and turns here and there. Then we leaped. As in, the boat actually floated in midair for a split second before crashing back down. It was almost like the water rapids ride at the amusement park. If it weren't so dim at the moment it may have actually been more fun.

"Gary... I think I hear the waterfall up ahead." Ashy said, terror gone from his voice. And indeed the sound of crashing water got louder and louder every metre we sailed through. Well, they didn't call it "The Icefall Cave" for nothing. I was just a little concerned with the actual falling part. Anticipation built up in my nerves as light peeked through the end of the tunnel. I gripped the railings so tight with one hand, the other pulling the ravenette close to me. Last minute instructions from Nathan: "Even up your weight and scream!"

I've been falling too much for one day.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Everything happened so fast as several thoughts simultaneously ran through my mind. The boat angling, the tour guide navigating the front, damn gravity taking over, a gigantic splash, how the hell was this safe, was Ash okay, gotta keep my foot on the bag of stuff, ear-shattering screams, weren't there rocks at the bottom of the falls, we were still in one piece, thank Arceus we were alive, I was soaking wet. After that split second, rapid and adrenaline-pumping ride, everyone was pretty much fine. Ash was all smiles, the family of three were checking on their child, Jerry and his wife were fistpumping, the girls were wailing yet again — this time out of relief. A staff member was back at the entrance of the cave, signalling Nathan to come drop us off.

"And that concludes our Icefall Cave Tour, we hope you enjoyed it and the rest of your day!" he cheered, helping us one by one out of the ride. "There are several changing rooms at the center so feel free to help yourselves to the showers."

The first thing I did was to check the camera was alright. It was as safe as can be, thankfully. Our souvenirs didn't get a drop of water on them, not even Ash's adorable Seel doll which the boy snatched from me the second he saw it. "Snowball, are you okay?" He patted it down, sighing happily for its safety. Then he gave it back to me. "Erm. Heh. Was just making sure it was dry. Yeah. Umm. Gonna go change now."

I pursed my lips as he walked away, concealing a forming smile. "Yeah, I bet Pikachu and Eevee are waiting for us." I jogged over to catch up with the guy, collected the rest of our bags and swapped out of my soaking clothes before our long awaited reunion with our beloved Pokémon friends.

**~o~**

"Arceus, this was originally an ordinary Pokémon Day Care? I don't believe it." The Pikachu Trainer exclaimed as he glanced around the Floe Island Pokémon Paradise Park. It was like a gigantic Pokémon Center, Pokémon Day Care and an amusement park of sorts all architectured into one. Though slightly smaller than the Boon Island amusement park, it was perfect for Pokémon of all sizes, types, ages and natures. Ashy was pacing ahead, trekking through every field, ride and room for the person in charge of our Pokémon. We had to walk a kilometre or so from the Icefall Cave to get here, refreshed from our showers and eager to finally be meeting our friends after four long days.

The lady at the front desk who almost looked like another Nurse Joy but really wasn't assigned us a card with our caretaker's name and details. I met the woman before, Michelle was it? She assured me plenty that Alakazam would not be getting any more spoons to bend and Ash's Charizard would have a lot of time amd space to fly around. According to the Nurse Joy lookalike, she'd be around the Pokémon food court (imagine that awesomeness! If Ashy had his Snorlax it would have cried) for their afternoon tea. Unfortunately the food court was at the far-most end of the park so we had to walk a couple of more yards.

"It's nearing six so I reckon we should stay here for a bit before going back to our hotel." I suggested. "Unless you want to go home immediately. I just figured you wanted to watch our pals play around for some more." He stopped walking to think.

"Yeah. Sounds good. Now if only we could find this food court... So many slides and pools and tunnels but no Haunter or Chansey or Pikachu yet."

"The lady told us it was near the boulder hopping field."

He scoffed impatiently. "I have nooo idea where that is."

"Oh, come of it, we'll find them soon, Ashy. Then we can all be together again, right?"

"Pikaaaaaaaaaaa-pi!" A loud squeal coming from the north east seemed to agree with me. Wait. That was Pikachu! Seconds after the call the two of us saw the thunder mouse running our direction, Eevee in tow. Heck, even Blastoise was running! We followed soon after and I almost tripped over catching Eevee in my arms, the fluffball positively beaming as she licked my face.

"Eevee, it's so good to see you... Blastoise... Oh yes, Skarmory and Arcanine! Alakazam and Electivire too..." You'd think we hadn't seen each other for decades, but four days without the friends you've spent everyday with was terribly long. I gave them each a warm hug and they chased me around until I was down on the ground, laughing. "You guys, I've missed you so much..."

"Arr arr!"

"Toise!"

"Alakazaam!" They replied back with fond enthusiasm. A quick glance at Ash and I secretly grinned seeing the hazel-eyed boy so blatantly overjoyed as Vaporeon circled his legs and Haunter pulled funny faces at him. Michelle came over soon after that.

She tilted her head to one side, amusement painted on her features as she held out a hand. "Well, they look really glad to see you." I rose to my feet, thanking her with a nod. Eevee was hopping from one side to the other, her nose scrunching with every cry. It was something she did when she wanted me to give her attention, the cute little thing.

"Yeah. They look amazing, Michelle. You took good care of them, and for that I thank you." I told her. My and Ash's Pokémon were in tip top shape. Their coats were shining and so were they, absolutely ecstatic and ready for action. The ravenette couldn't help but agree.

"Thanks loads for taking care of them! It makes me so happy to know they had fun here!" Ash commented while Pikachu nested on his still slightly wet hair. Michelle giggled, handing us a booklet of our Pokémon's daily records. "Just doing my job. They behaved so well, especially the Charizard. Always listened when I told it to come down from the air to eat."

"Charizard actually _listened_ to you?" Ash was surprised.

"Mmhm. I jotted down everything they did in the last three or so days, what time they slept, what they ate and just a few points on their overall behaviour. Anything else you wanna know, you can just ask me." She tucked a stray lock of red hair away from her sapphire eyes.

Ash and I shared the pages of the booklet. As promised, we stayed over at the park to join our Pokémon friends as they spent their last few minutes here. He'd been carrying Jirachi in his day bag this whole time and chose to let it roam free to meet and greet the rest of the group. I let Ash run around with everyone else — the guy was actually crawling through tunnels, hopping over hurdles and sliding down that gigantic yellow slide. Eevee chose to stay with me. Together, we admired Ash's cheerfulness from afar. Or at least I was, anyway.

Heh.

I wish he would stay smiling, just like that.

_Ashy... was... so... beautiful._

He was legitimately _glowing_. It sounded crazy, but even my nearsightedness could account for it. No matter that there were other people and Pokémon alike at this place. It was as if he was the only one I could see at the moment, with that lopsided grin of his and his messy black hair and freakishly endearing laugh. I couldn't explain it. What in Arceus was happening to me, why was Ashy making me smile stupidly at the world by just being... him? What was up with all these ridiculous urges to gawk and smile to one side like a wacko and the whole blushing, heating up thing? So... stupid. It wasn't like I was falling in love with him or anything beca—

_No._

That was crazy. Even crazier than Ash legitimately glowing, which _he was_. I mean, we just became best friends and all and I—

What the heck?

_Ahahaha,_ must have been the liquid in my ears. I've been doing so much jumping and falling lately that I was getting delusional.

Yes, that must have been it. Because whoever heard of falling in love with your best friend within a matter of days?

Nevermind the love stories out there. This was crazy. Mr Mime evolving into a Druddigon crazy.

I didn't even notice Eevee clawing at my jeans until after she tackled me, hard. "Vee vee? Vee..." Picking her up from the ground, I petted her fur and hugged the normal type to my chest. "I'm alright, dear. Sorry for worrying you..."

"Vee! Eevee vee eevee!" She was right. Rest I should when we got back. I'd just throw in something in the pan for dinner, maybe some chicken macaroni casserole which sounded easy enough to make. Then I'd sleep. At least she'd be around to guide me this time. After four days without my precious friend it would be nice to have her cuddling next to my pillows again.

Michelle had some business to do at the main office so she scooted off before Ash got back going through every activity to do at the park. Our friends looked as though they've had enough fun for the day as well so with the Pokéballs the female caretaker had left with me, the two of us called them back one by one. Even Jirachi looked well spent. I made no comment when Ash began to question my silence minutes later.

"Half past six now, Gary. There's a ferry heading home soon, right?" Pikachu was rubbing at a dirt spot on his cheek.

"Umm, yeah."

"Are we doing anything else?"

"Nah. It's about time we got ourselves some rest." I carried Eevee on my left shoulder, my right hand actively seeking his left. See? There was nothing wrong about this. It was fine._ I_ was fine. My semantic network was just going haywire from exhaustion. "What do you say I cook us up some mac and chicken casserole? And for our Pokémon, some good ol' fresh berries from the assorted pack we bought at Berry Forest!"

"YEAH! Will there be fried Cheri Berry chips?" He bumped me intentionally as we exited the Floe Island Pokémon Paradise Park.

"Very funny, Ashy."

"Ha ha! You know I live to bring you misery." The seventeen year old chuckled to himself. "Next stop, Paradise Inn! Gonna eat so much food tonight! I'm ready to nom!"

"Pika pi!"

Hah, I begged to differ with that first statement.

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

A ferry ride and few minutes of walking later, we collapsed into the red sofas like wilting plants. You know those days you've spent hopping from place to place, actively having fun and when you get home, all you longed for was for sleep to come? Okay, maybe that sounded bleaker than I'd intended it to be but today was somehow like that. I had to force myself off of the comfort of the luxurious, soft couch to cook whatever was left in the cupboards and the mini refrigerator (there were enough ingredients for chicken macaroni casserole!). Dinner was ready halfway through a second episode of this random reality TV show about nicknaming one's Pokémon (Seriously old man. If a trainer wants to name his Torterra Marluxia then let him do so. If he named it something like Trashcan or Balloon, maybe I'd understand the creature's pain.)

Ash was nomming down his food like he told me he would, going for seconds and thirds when I'd barely finished my first helping. Our buddy Pokémon were on the other sofa, nipping at the Cornn Berries in their food bowls. The Pikachu Trainer started laughing too, when some lame trainer came on the show claiming his Cherrim was called Gary. Oh ha ha. (It wasn't funny.) He had to down a tall glass of water before he could breathe again, and I quote, "That is... ha ha... so... pfft... freaking hilarious! HAHAHAHA!" (No, it wasn't.) Thus the "Gary-Cherrim-Cheri-Berry" nickname was invented. It wasn't even a nickname anymore! It had more syllables than my full name, but Ashy thought it was _perfect_. (No.)

"Oh lighten up, Gary. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the..." and laugh he did, the meanie. "...the... nyahaha... the Cherrim. Ooh! Imagine if people's nicknames could be rated on the show. Ashy-love wouldn't even rate a four on that old man's ridiculous list. But Gary-Cherrim-Cheri-Berry would win you an award. Gahaha! Classic..." I glared at the boy who was wiping a laughter-induced tear from his eye. Since I did the dishes the other day, he offered to clean up this time. I changed the channel to the news before he returned with anymore nickname ideas.

Today was our last day for opening up our fortune cookies. There were only two left — one for each of us, and it actually made me nervous holding the thing in my hands. They had to mean something right? Yesterday's fortune... it talked about_ "repairing a broken relationship"_, which was scarily accurate considering Ash and I had finally patched things between us. Then there was the second part -_ "Keep your heart open for a new possible love."_ I threw it away immediately, not knowing why it disturbed me so. As if I needed something so pointless and worrisome in my life. Was it really so necessary?

I didn't want an insane girlfriend of sorts clinging to me like I was some kind of puppet to make them look reputable. Sure, I spent more time by myself than with anyone else, and that was alright with me even though it got a little lonely sometimes. Rather that than some mad woman eyeing me like, what did they even want from me, you know? I wasn't that spectacular, sheesh. I wasn't a celebrity. I was just Gary Oak, another ordinary Pokémon Researcher; Gary Oak, another ordinary gym leader.

Thinking about how I'd been acting weirdly this whole day (they were just delusions, Oak. Damn it!), I actually wouldn't mind if,_ well_ — and I blamed these thoughts on my exhaustion, dear Arceus! — haha, err_,_ if said _"love" _was Ashy compared to some cringe worthy female partner. At least Ashy was tolerable. Too adorable for his own good, talented and cute. He didn't think I was the world. He wouldn't use me, because what's there to use? He was better than me. We got along in a comical way and I've known him all my life... But hey, why did I even need to explain myself? It was just a cookie. It had no control over what I did, real or not.

"Aww. This sounds kind of sad." Ash chimed in with a pouty tone before I even had the chance to break mine open. He looked at me with those _gorgeous, large brown eyes of his_... and he frowned, extending an arm out and waving his fortune playfully. I assumed he wanted me to read it.

_"The future may hold several consequences for you. Follow what you believe is best, but be wary of losing those most important to you."_

"I don't wanna lose anything important." he told me, curling into himself. "What if I do something wrong and I didn't know? That sounds so terrifying."

I gave him a warm smile in return, pocketing my cookie for later. "Ash, you know we can't really know what's gonna happen in the future. And since this is you we're talking about, I doubt things would go downhill." I sat myself next to him and let him lean on me for a while — one of my arms rubbing his back for comfort. "You always find a way to make things right, yeah? Don't take what this thing says to heart, mmkay?"

"Mmhm. You're right... I'm too awesome to lose, anyway."

"That's the spirit. Now whaddya say we go get some rest?" The television was still playing in the background. Ash agreed, heading over to our bedroom. "Gonna get changed now. Can you take care of the two sleeping over there?"

He was referring to Eevee and Pikachu who had fallen asleep on the couch next to each other again. Those two were such darlings. I really wanted them to stay with us tonight but they seemed comfortable enough to stay here. After finding a blanket to drape over them, I bid the two a silent farewell before disappearing into the bedroom, ready to hit the hay.

It was a little embarrassing seeing the place immaculately tidy compared to how we left it this morning. Every article of clothing we discarded carelessly on the floor was piled up in a laundry basket near the bathroom. Gotta tip the cleaners. It was highly shameful, especially with my perfectionist standards. I dug through my belongings to get me some fresh pyjamas. When the ravenette emerged from the bathroom in due time, I did not expect him wearing another one of his silly overalls.

"What in Arceus are you wearing?" I inquired like I didn't know. The guy was in a Pikachu onesie, ears and tail and all. His zigzag-scarred cheeks were also flushed scarlet, almost like a real Pikachu's.

"What in Arceus do you think it looks like?" He asked back. I was folding my day clothes as I sat on the edge of my bed, the unopened cookie abandoned on my pillow.

"Okay, Ash. I was just asking, no need to get so defensive about it. It's totally fine with me if you have an obsession with onesies, I swear."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" He countered. "Well I'm sorry I don't have anymore mature pyjamas... you've met my mother and know what she's like. End of story." He was actually, for the lack of a better word, TWIRLING around in the thing, the attachable tail bouncing with him as he moved. "Besides, I like them. They're comfortable to sleep in."

"Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it." Blatantly adorable, that guy. Ridiculous.

"I have a Meloetta one too. Maybe I'll wear it tomorrow, just to spite you and your own pyjama style."

"Oh shut up."

"You're no fun. It's probably why you don't sleep so well." He sauntered next to me, a detestable smirk on his face. "_Hmm,_ Gary-Cherrim-Cheri-Berry? Maybe you want me to lend you my Azelf onesie for tonight, ha ha!"

I tried to push him away when he belly-flopped horizontally on my bed. The nerve of him creasing my perfectly made covers! Ash giggled as he rolled away in an attempt to annoy me a bit more.

"Maybe I'll ask Mom to gift you a custom-made Cherrim one on your birthday..." He teased. "That'll be cool right? Boring Gary-Berry in a Cherrim overall. I'll take so many pictures..."

"Enough with the pyjamas!" He just crossed the line. It was time for payback, the cunning weirdo. "You're gonna regret messing with me, Ashy-love!"

I pounced on him, pinning him down with my weight as I tickled his sides. If there was another thing I remembered from our childhood, it was that Ash was a sore loser to tickle fights. The hazel-eyed boy fought back, cackling and kicking, moving side to side to tip me over. "Suffer my wrath, muhaha! I'm not getting off you until you say I'm awesome."

"N-N-_haha!_-never!" A powerful kick from him and we were rolling around the bed, a few inches close to falling off.

"Then I'll make you surrender! Super duper tickle attack! Commencing target: Pika-Ash's neck!"

"_N-N-No!_ 'M not losing! Gahahahaha-_move away!_-hahaha! Heeeeeey! Okey, okey-_hahahaha!_-stahp, I give up, sta-_haha_-stahp! Nuuuuuuuuuu!"

I think he just crushed my fortune cookie. I rolled off to the right and took a deep breath, laughing with mirth. "You still suck at tickle fights, h-huh?"

"C-Can't be good...at e-everything." We lied there for a while, staring at the blank ceiling, catching our breaths. So tired. A piece of paper was poking my cheek and I tried swatting it away before realizing Ashy was handing me something.

"Sorry. It's w-what's left of your cookie. I d-didn't read it or anything, h-haha." That illuminating grin of his was back...

Heh. I was trying to avoid this thing, but I guess I oughta know what it said sooner than later. I was facing Ash as I unfolded the creased fortune with shaky hands, letting emerald eyes take in the shocking sentence.

_"You're in love with the person smiling right in front of you."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

Awkward staring, confusion, blood flooding to my cheeks, thoughts running back and forth trying to process what the heck I had just read. A bombarding river of emotions, my heart rate speeding up faster than it's ever gone before. My main thought: this couldn't be true and yet it kind of was because even though I was thinking it and it did cross my mind and maybe I was just repressing what may have been the truth, here it was, concrete words taunting me like the jerk this fortune was. Stupid cookie messing with my feels. I remained frozen to the spot, a hand crumpling the cruel paper but otherwise, utterly and irrevocably speechless. Ash was still patiently waiting for a verdict.

"Was it that awful?" He questioned, voicing out one of my minor thoughts. "Hey, you said to me just earlier you shouldn't take what it says to heart, right?"

That was what I said. _But still, for Arceus' sake..._

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." And just like that, he involuntarily hugged me. As if I couldn't get any more flustered. Ash held me like I held him: a hand rubbing my back, his cinnamon scent sticking to my clothes, his warmth heating me up all the more. It was brief, but it meant something, and my brain just turned into mush. The other got up and stretched his arms, yawning while I lied there, stupefied. "I'm gonna sleep now, okay? Don't think too much about it, Gary. Sleep tight."

"Y-Y-Yeahh, you sleep w-well t-too..." That was the only thing you could say in reply, self? Let's have a giant Aipom hi five for such a pathetic effort!

The lights were turned off and I listened to my friend's shuffling before I myself pulled at the covers and crawled inside it. There were still crushed pieces of the cookie on my pillow which I swept off to the floor with little care. Holy freaking Arceus, what a day. There were no words; only disorganized thoughts and mixed feelings of WHAT THE HELL DO I DO NOW?! I loved him, huh. I supposedly loved my best friend, and maybe it what was I'd been feeling for him this whole time, hence the way I wanted so badly to be on good terms with the guy. Utterly utterly shocking. I didn't know anymore.

Maybe I always knew this and never had the courage to admit it. Maybe I just needed something concrete like that despicable piece of paper to set my mind straight (On the contrary, MY MIND WAS A JUMBLED MESS.)

I couldn't believe it at all.

_Ashy..._

_What would I do without you... you mean so much to me and I never even realized._

_Don't leave me again. __I won't leave you either. I'll take care of you, and you can take care of me..._

_We can be together..._

* * *

_"Ya'll know it soon..." The old man had said, his shadowed form disappearing into the light. The emerald-eyed boy had fallen. He touched the ground first, and now he knew._

* * *

**O.o Wut even, hahaha. *le blinks at screen several times***

**Well that was a handful. Four months overdue and I'm not sure if this would make up for it, pshaw. My mind is as mushed up as Gary's.**

**Moi loves reviews. :) Arigatou for taking your time to read another one of my wut-even chapters. Until next time, ja? ChiiRyeeBiee is outto~!**


	7. X Mark's The Spot

**(March 11, 2016 EDIT: Revised Chapter 7. Chapter 8 in progress)**

**Hiyaa, everyone. Chii here. Damn, I swear I'm getting worse and worse by the month. Dx Here to finally bring you Missing Piece Chapter Seven, like hahaha, why do I leave these things sooo last minute…**

**I'm pretty excited to see how this turns out. As of now, I've got no idea how it'll pan, but hopefully it'll be alright. I have some projects on the side to do as well and kyaahhh~ *hits self not in confusion but in the name of punishment***

**I procrastinate too much.**

**Must I have to add warnings? Ash x Gary, Pokémon is not mine, blah blah, disclaimer ensues. As for an overview: fail treasure-hunting weirdness, awkward interactions and food obsession. XD I can't believe this segment is ending in two more chapters ahhhh! **

**I'm so sorrry (/_o);**

**Please, self, for everyone's sake and yours; this month or next. Arceus, I hate myself HAHAHA *cries***

* * *

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Chapter Seven: X Mark's The Spot (Ash's Point of View)

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Never wake me up in the morning with a poke.

Actually, never wake me up in ANY way. Not via opening the blinds (Uh huh, who do you think does that? A certain brunette I know, that's who), not via tossing ME to the side (Double guilty, hmm?), not via a hair ruffling and pulling my covers away (**NO.** Just because my hair is a mess in the morning, and, _well,_ every other time really, that doesn't mean it needs to be even messier.) and DON'T. NUDGE. ME. either. Nicely or not.

Just don't.

The only (somehow) acceptable way to wake me up is with the smell of food. Otherwise, don't.

Just don't.

_Poke. Poke._

You'd think five days into this holiday and almost six years of travelling would have allowed me to get use to waking up early in the morning.

Seriously, who thought of needing to be productive come the hours of six am? I know we should make the most of rising daylight and all, but I still don't have to like it.

**_POKE._**

Uuuuuugh!

"Okay, okay! I'm up! Please just **STOP** poking m-_ oh._"

It was Pikachu. Judging from the first slivers of light seeping through the still closed thick curtains, he looked a little tired – his arms lazily slouched at his sides and a sad pout on his face. Pikachu's cheeks weren't generating as much electricity as it should either, if the none-too-loud crackling than normal was any more of an indication.

"Piii-ka."

Crap. What kind of a trainer was I, getting angry at my friend like that…

"Sorry, buddy. I thought you were Gary. Ahaha..." I pulled myself together, stretching the last strain on my arms before taking the electric type onto my blanketed lap. My Pokétch read seven thirteen am – eh. I've definitely woken up at worse hours.

"Pikachu pi."

Oh. "You want to eat food?" My Pokémon usually ate the moment I woke up, but it seems they've gotten used to getting fed so early in the morning after staying in the Paradise Park for a while.

"Pi."

Well. I couldn't deny a food request. He climbed onto my shoulder whilst I got up and made the bed, rubbing my eyes in the process. My Bulbasaur, Pikachu and Seel soft toys were lined up along the bedrest, all of them smiling back at me happily. The emerald-eyed boy was still asleep, oddly. It was nice to know he was resting properly like he should be, though.

Walking out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, I checked myself in the mirror to see if I could leave the hotel like this. The hoodie on my overalls hung loosely at the back of my neck as it was somehow taken off my head in the middle of the night.

"Pika-chaaa!"

Haha. Pikachu was always amused every time I wore this particular overall. The fabric was soft and it was a nice kind of yellow – not too bright or dull, and Mom's favourite machine stitch kept everything together nicely. So Gary could say whatever he wanted about my pyjamas, but there was no stopping me from wearing them, sorry.

Wetting one of the face towels hanging along the side rail next to the sink, I attempted to wipe the sleep away from my face, depositing it into a laundry basket once I was done. I couldn't exactly remove the weird wrinkles made on my cheeks by the pillow, so I left for the mini lounge and kitchenette. Eevee who was tiptoeing around one of the sofas looked delighted to see me – I bet she was hungry too, huh? The two helped me place my and Gary's Pokeballs into a bag, search the cupboards for any food and open the door as we walked out together.

Paradise Inn was a lot quieter in the early hours. Sure, there were already people in proper outdoor clothes locking their rooms to attend their daily events, but compared to nine thirty in the morning, the noise level wasn't as chattery. I ignored the weird looks directed at me and focused on making my way out with two Pokemon sitting happily on my shoulders. The side gardens weren't a bad place to feed them – most hotels I knew had to have at least one feeding area, but being at a five star inn, there were several locations, indicated by several signs, that trainers could make their way to for their, err, "larger" Pokemon's breakfast, lunch or dinner. I got to know them as I looked forward to seeing my buddies again.

"Pikachu, Eevee, you wouldn't mind us dropping by the mart for a while to buy some more food? I only found three bags of berries. I think Blastoise and Charizard might need huge servings."

"Pika pika!"

"Veee!"

Aww, the way they snuggled closer to me just made me so happyyy-! I really missed these guys. It was fun visiting the many places Gary and I did, but my Pokemon were my life. I could never live a week without them, and I would never EVER want to.

**~o~**

The trip to the mart was definitely needed. Charizard and Blastoise had to eat at least a kilo and a half of food, and who knew Skarmory was a finicky one – feeding on nothing but the occasional Occa Berries. Electivire ate all the sour berries and for Chansey, I bought this new special blend that would keep her immune system strong. Eevee, Pikachu, Alakazam and Arcanine ate anything. Vaporeon hated spicy and dry food; Haunter needed me to grind or mush his first. Lastly, Bulbasaur dined on anything red – why this was so was beyond me.

No one around seemed to be occupied on me so I cautiously let out my beloved Jirachi, handing it a Sitrus Berry to nibble on. "Ash, oh Ash, hello! Oooh, thanks so much, I was really hungry! I'm glad to see you, Ash!"

I would never tell the Wish Pokemon this but, it was a little weird to have a legendary Pokemon on my arsenal, talking to me in a language I fully understood nonetheless. It really put a smile on my face to see it so overjoyed.

"Hey… I'm glad to see you too! Do you have any dietary preferences, Jirachi?"

The steel type greeted everyone with gusto before floating back towards me, hugging me tight. "Oh no. I can withstand years without food. I do like Occa Berries though – they're just _so_ yummy!"

Overhearing the comment, Skarmory gave it an evil glare._ Finicky and selfish..._ Must be really fun to be with at gatherings, hmph.

"Thanks for the berry, though! Is it okay if I have more?"

"Of course! It's feeding time, take as much as you need!"

The star Pokémon clapped its little hands together, the clipped notes on its head swinging side to side as it rejoiced. Aww. So cute. I watched the others share their helpings as Jirachi was handed at least one piece of food from each of their bowls, Charizard included.

"Lakazam!"

"Chan-seeeey!"

"Bulba-bulbasaaaaur."

"Aww, you're all so nice! Thank you — _mmm!_ — so much!" It beamed, giving me another hug before locating its ball. "Guess I'll –_ haaah…_ go back to sleep now… Bye everybody~!"

Feeding time over, we returned to our cozy hotel room and left the television on to keep us company. A channel on Pokémon Idols was playing, the green-haired teen singing some song about Quick Balls or something that Eevee and Pikachu were trying to imitate. While they were busy, I decided to make some breakfast for myself and the still-snoozing Pokémon Researcher as it was already too late to go back to bed.

Believe it or not, cooking was something I really enjoyed. These past ten months of travelling independently was quite an experience – I could do whatever I wanted and especially eat whatever I wanted whenever I felt like it. I never followed recipes handed down to me by Cilan or Brock or my mother, choosing instead to experiment with ingredients and taste along as I went. Luckily I wasn't too bad with that – the food I made always turned out delicious and to my liking.

I thought breakfast wouldn't be breakfast without soft omelettes. Some eggs, milk, a dash of vanilla extract leftover from Gary's secret cake baking spree, two large bowlfuls of grated cheese and cut up bacon strips tossed together in a pan became a scrumptious smelling plateful of cheesy, eggy, bacon-y goodness. Two tall glasses of apple juice later and the table set perfectly, I strode towards the bedroom where my best friend hopefully was – and indeed he was – still asleep.

Did Gary know he cuddled with pillows in his sleep?

He was sleeping on his right side with an arm draped around it, his face sinking even deeper into soft cotton. I noticed his thick red duvet was kicked unknowingly to the bottom of the bed; what's left of it covering the other leg. Geez, he must have been cold. It's no wonder he couldn't sleep well if by morning his blankets would be kicked to the floor. Whispering a silent_ "sorry"_ for not checking on him earlier, I sat down and moved the blankets around him layer by layer, grinning just a little bit at the stupid pug expression the older boy was half-making against the pillow.

Yesterday was quite a day. Highlights included going on the zipline and eating at Berry Forest's totally awesome Berry Shack, as well as meeting my Pokémon again at Floe Island's Paradise Park. Icefall Cave was really spectacular, and though it was chilly inside and even colder once we surfaced from the literal waterfall, I had fun. It surprised me to realize how much I was missing out on. I've been to several places in my lifetime, but to actually enjoy visiting said places instead of constantly trying to find Pokémon battles was a first. Gary helped me see that.

I poked the side of his face just to check he was alright. Tousled brown hair concealed one closed eye, eyelashes long and unmoving. Still out of it apparently. It was then when a devious, none-too-friendly idea popped into my mind and I just had to seek revenge for the times he disturbed my peaceful state, whether intentionally to be a jerk or because I really had to wake up.

The passive-aggressive way we treated each other wasn't going to die that easily.

Drawing the curtains open to let some sunlight in, I hastily ripped off the same covers I wrapped him in to the side before taking one of my pillows and throwing it at him. Okay, sooo maybe that was a little mean, but at least I didn't throw my Poke Gear – no way was I going to risk damaging it on that pretty face. Gary shuffled slightly then, groaning as he let go of the pillow and lied on the bed face up in a starfish position.

This'd take a while.

"WAKE UP, GAAAAAARY-CHERIIIIM-CHERRRIII-BERRYYYYY~! UP, UP, UP you go!" To top off the jerk wake up call, I threw myself at him with a body slam, barely landing the bed as I almost bounced back and on the floor.

A loud, "OOF!" then an irritated, "What in **ARCEUS' NAME–**" greeted me ever-so-nicely after the stunt as Gary's eyes snapped open immediately, only to be shielded with an arm from the bright morning light. I stared at him as innocently as I could, as if I hadn't just almost squashed him without reason, blinded him with sunlight and took away his blankets. "Hi."

There was this split second show of annoyance deep in those emeralds before it disappeared, only to leave some unreadable emotion I couldn't pinpoint. Instead of tossing me off the bed though, he just checked for the time and brushed my fringe behind my ears. "Hello. You look happy today."

Damn it, why did that wake up call backfire?! That just took the fun out of it, the freak. "You're supposed to get mad at me, you jerk. The one time I wake up earlier and I can't believe you."

"Thought you'd... _nngh..._ take the opportunity to be a meanie, did you? It's too b-bad imma morning person." He lisped, blinking continuously to get used to the bright light.

"I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." I almost forgot I was still lying on top of him until he tried to move, prompting me to roll off and dust away non-existent dirt from my pajamas. "Did you make breakfast? I smell omelettes."

"Yup~! You okay with cheese and bacon? The table's already set." I told him. "For once we can finally eat here instead of always leaving with food to-go, huh." He let me lean against the bathroom door while he performed his morning hair routine.

"Sounds great. Oh, um, while you're here, can you quickly grab my gel in my bag? It's in the front pocket somewhere. I think it's on my bedside table."

Of freaking course.

Now that I'd done something nice, he thought it was alright to treat me like a servant.

Heh.

Gary was on his umpteenth brush when I got back and handed him the bottle. "Thanks. Wanna try some? It smells nice, promise."

Tch. Even his reflection made him look freakishly tall and attractive. I just looked averagely bland, with my plain brown eyes and hell of a feather duster for hair. Still shorter than him, which was a double blow to my ego. "Your definition of nice is vanilla. How you acquired such a gel I don't want to know."

"Such a killjoy." He muttered back, adding the finishing touches to his spikes. The brunette was always so vain. Add that to the many traits I still couldn't grasp even after knowing the guy for almost all my life. He liked to cuddle, but only with me. He was a major perfectionist. He relied on organized schedules and lists, instead of going with the flow or being more flexible. Gary worked too hard. He's always wanting to achieve something, be it to make the best report or throw the best birthday celebration regardless of whether or not it took a toll on him. It seems I haven't openly shared my appreciation for having him around as much as I should, really. It's important I change that.

Before the emerald-eyed teen could turn around, I slowly reached out for the back of his shirt, tugging at the fabric that was warm with his heat. Arms I didn't remember moving found their way around his waist as I hooked my chin on his left shoulder. We looked good together. Just us. Just like old times. "I've told you this before, and I'm telling you again – you look fine the way you are, you self-conscious bastard."

The faces staring back at us looked different now, I noticed. I looked freer, calmer somehow, the stress of Pokémon battles absent for me to dwell on. And Gary... well, he was looking everywhere within the corners of the bathroom but the mirror, his looser strands of sienna hair not enough to hide that funny smile. The gym leader was mumbling something to himself but I fled to the kitchen before I could catch his words. Yikes, those omelettes weren't going to be warm forever! Better get a move on, breakfast, breakfast, here I go!

"Pfft... The s-sweet things y-you say to m-me... _tch..._"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

Gary had been feeling bad for no reason as we walked along the dock, wary of the rippling waves cascading into spread-out sand. The air was comfortable – not too warm or too cool, and I couldn't keep my eyes off the tiny tree rings embedded onto the wood the pier was made of. Tap, squick, tap, tap. These red Velcro shoes weren't worn out, but I liked to listen to my squishy footsteps along with Gary's as the Wingulls squawked their good mornings.

"You know you didn't have to do all… that… You could have asked me for help, I would have gotten up early instead of you." He continued to say this even after I made the best cheese and bacon omelette ever KNOWN and did the dishes while he packed our things. We had just enough time to take the photos we hadn't taken around the inn and here at the pier as the Seagallop Ferry was yet to arrive. Pikachu and Eevee were running around playfully, chasing each other's tails back and forth the deck.

"So you'd rather have me be a lazy potato while you do all the work?" I scoffed, bumping him to the side.

He pushed me back, but not hard enough to send me tripping over my feet. "Well... _yeah._ 'M sorry, but I don't think I can trust you with chores."

"Why? Because you think I'll damage something? I don't have super human strength, you know. And I saw you forking up seconds – don't try to deny it."

I've been relying on the Pokémon Researcher doing all the work this week. I claimed to be old enough to take care of myself, which I was, but I hadn't done anything to really justify it. Plus, as sad as it may be, our holiday was ending in three days. There's only one more island to visit tomorrow, and it'd be back to reality again – to my stubborn mindset of chasing my goal and getting ready for the Indigo League Tournament.

I was going to miss this time I still had with Gary.

A quarter of an hour had passed and the four of us boarded the ferry heading to Fortune Island, the sixth of the Sevii area. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like yet, but from what the brunette had told me, it was the oldest island just before Quest Island and was an ideal tourist spot for Pokémon archaeologists and Researchers due to its vast amount of historical ruin sites. To my left, Gary was quietly staring out the window, a hand casually brushing through Eevee's fur. For some reason, I was getting this weird feeling that there was something off about him... He'd been pretty silent, somehow. It probably wasn't serious, though.

"Gary-Berry... you okay?"

I leaned on his right shoulder, inspecting the ferry ceiling retrospectively. To think a week ago I was on my way to Viridian without knowing my best friend of then and now was the Gym Leader... and then all these things happened between us and we've gotten close again and – hah! It was really quite unbelievable. Pikachu was trying to get comfortable on my lap as he scratched at the fabric of my trousers, silent "Pi pi!"s and "Pikapi"s whispered here and there.

The older teen slowly turned to me. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm good. You brought confortable shoes, right? We'll be doing a lot of walking today."

"I've been doing a lot of walking forever." I joked, swinging my legs back and forth to show off said footwear. "These shoes will be good enough. What are we doing today anyway?"

"Ever been geocaching before?" He inquired. I tilted my head upwards in an attempt to face him even though I was still leaning on him.

"What's that?"

"It's sort of like a treasure hunt. Fortune Island has these mountainous ranges called Ruin Valley, but the brochures call it "The Valley of Aged Wisdom" because "Ruin Valley" kind of sounds boring for tourists." Eevee nodded along with him even though she probably had no idea what he was talking about. "There are ruins scattered all over said valley and we get the chance to go look for them. We'll be given coordinates to a random ruin location and we'll have to navigate our way around the valley to find it. Let me tell you this, though. Ruin Valley is a wide place, so we'll have our work cut out for us."

"Vee vee!"

"Wow, that sounds awesome! So we'll be on foot the whole way?"

"I'm not sure yet. We're not in competition with anyone and we have no rules either so I guess we can travel however we want. We can take Skarmory or Charizard for a ride if we need to go a long distance."

I jumped up on my feet excitedly, slightly wobbling as I tried to get my balance back while the ferry sailed on. Pikachu jumped out next to Eevee and onto Gary's lap just in time. "Alright then! I can't wait till we get there! _Ge-o-ca-ching!_ Today is going to be awe_soooome_!"

The Viridian City Gym Leader just shook his head in amusement. At least he was smiling again, and that made me happy. I sat back down and tapped my fingers against the side of my seat while I eagerly waited for our disembarkation, my electric type crawling back on me as he tried to hide his slight irritation.

"Piiika."

_"You are such a weirdo." _Gary quietly said to himself, unaware that the statement was loud and clear to my ears. He was looking out the window again, and from following his gaze I could only infer that he'd been observing a wild Mantine out at sea as it resurfaced from the water every once in a while. I kicked him in the shin without any intention of hurting him, feigning offence with a, "Oh, so I'm weird now huh?" reply.

"Well if I can't call you adorable you may as well be a weirdo. Which of them would you rather prefer, Ashy-love?" He wasn't even smirking (or rather, I couldn't really see), but the way he said it was too bland, and therefore, just sardonic enough for me to convict him of mocking me.

"Eevee."

"Neither. You're lucky I shortened Gary-Berry earlier on, you know. Want me to add another mouthful?" I bit back. "How about Gary-Cherrim-Cheri-**Hairy**-Berry? Since you're always so obsessed with your hair."

I could almost feel him cringe, haha. "Okay, touché. We'll both shut up until the ferry arrives."

Years of bickering wouldn't go away easily, I knew that. I guess it was just something we did now. Maybe once this holiday was over, we'd tease each other over our Poké Gear too. Heh. Gary would probably call me at six am to shout over my ear if that happened. "WAKE UP ASHYYY, BATTLE TIMEEEE!", he'd scream, and he'd probably laugh it off because I wouldn't be able to physically hit him. I'd just keep adding words to his "nickname" as penalties though.

We'd both taken to Mantine watching while the ferry zoomed towards our destination. It was only when it disappeared into the sapphire waters of the sea and never resurfaced again that I realized we were nearing the pier. The first few buildings and trees of Fortune Island came into sight – already I could tell how ancient and historical it was from the many scattered, chipped marble-like pillars that looked to be a thousand years old. The sand wasn't white like the other islands, bordering instead between a dusty yellow to a soil brown. This could have been due to the sediments mixed in from the valley and the aftermath of erosion or windy weather.

"Pikapi!"

I've already stood up with Pikachu in my arms and was about to leave the ferry when I felt something out of place. That something being Gary, still daydreaming where I'd left him. Eevee was yapping at him to move already but to no avail.

"Oi. Earth to Gary… can you hear me?" I snapped my fingers a few times in front of him. "We're here already. Come on, up you go."

"Oh, umm, sorry. Was thinking." The Pokémon Researcher turned a little scarlet before picking up the furball Pokémon and following me out.

Sheesh.

So distracted…

I was careful not to trip over stray rocks and logs along the way to the gravel road adjoined to the small town. "So, which way's the valley?" I said, mindlessly tapping my hands on my hips to the sound of my footprints. There was this small shop some people were flocking by and Pikachu took off with Eevee to join some of the island children playing with a Rattata.

"Vee…?"

"Pika! Pika pika Pikachu!"

"Umm, lemme see…" Gary browsed through the pages of a brochure. "…south from here. See the really, really remote ranges over there?" And indeed, there were several mountainsides to the south, their faces varying from the green of the grass to the loam of the land. "Now that we have our Pokémon, I bet they wouldn't mind giving us a lift. To the north of this town is a rainforest and a mysterious island, according to the map. But our focus is on the valley. It's up to you what you want to do afterwards, though."

After much playing around, Pikachu and Eevee were ready to join us on a hike. The gravel road to the valley seemed to go on forever, so in the middle of our trek, I asked Charizard if he could fly us to the valley center, Gary and Eevee on Skarmory. You wouldn't believe the view! The island! The wind on your skin as you flew over a valley with many twists and turns, the lands differing in compositions and structured surfaces. We followed the gravel road until it led towards an old bridge, joining a historical archipelago to a mainland of civilization.

When the center was in sight – a building with glass walls juxtaposed by its ancient surroundings – the Oak teen and I found a safe place to land. I rolled off the fire type and onto the fresh dirt of the mountain, Pikachu just as thrilled as I was from that inspiring flight. "Woo! You alright, Charizard?"

"Chaaaar." He let out a breath of fire towards the sky before curling up on the ground to sleep. Haha, that's Charizard for you. The emerald-eyed teen shook his head with a smirk on his face, a hand extended out to help me up. "That fire type's still as sluggish as always, huh?"

"Well, he's gonna have to rest if we'll be navigating the mountains. How's Skarmory?"

"He's fine. Come on, we better find our geocaching location."

Ruin Valley's, "The Valley of Aged Wisdom" Center (That name was way too long to say! Fancy, but too long.) was subjected on a flat surface on one of the mountains, much like a plateau. There was a long bridged out fence along the cliffside and around the road which led to the place. This part of the ranges was a sulfury yellow, though, like a desert mountain, for the lack of a better comparison. There were a few plants and broken pillars loitered along the entrance, and if you looked above you would see a rocky wall shading the building – something I could only assume led to the summit.

There wasn't much inside. The glass walls of the building were clear enough to discern holographic images of the valley in the middle of the center from outside. There were artefacts sealed within similarly thick glass cabinets, signs and informative tablets plastered everywhere. The four of us queued towards the reception where two ladies stood, currently dealing with their first-hand customers.

"Pika, chu-pikaka!" Pikachu cried, amused with the place.

"It is pretty amazing, isn't it, buddy? What do you think, Eevee?"

"Eeveevee~!" The normal type agreed, hopping off of her trainer and scurrying towards the holographic valley map.

"Hang on Eevee, we're in line–"

I deviated from the queue with Pikachu on my shoulder as I chased down Gary's Pokémon, only to stop when Eevee began circling the hologram. It was quite intricate, the hologram, even noting the few trees and ridges of the mountains I'd seen in flight. Gary followed us afterwards with rubber wristbands and what looked to be a treasure hunting kit. "Having fun?"

"Eevee is, anyway. Now I know why we left them at the Park."

I held out an arm for the emerald-eyed teen as he put the wristband on me. "Eevee's very inquisitive. She likes to help me out when I go exploring for research material, so it's natural for her to be quick on her feet."

I nodded my head with understanding. "So, where to now, Mr-World's-Awesomest-Pokémon-Researcher?" The voiceover of the holographic map was getting quite annoying, with its recurring, _"Welcome to The Valley of Aged Wisdom"_ message playing every thirty seconds.

"Ha ha, not gonna call me Professor Oak when you had a chance?"

"Nah. I can't seem to associate you with his expertise." I said, wincing a little when he recoiled for a moment, hurt. Bad sentence, self. That was too far.

"Err, um, haha. What I mean is that you're amazing enough to be called your own person, not repeatedly referred to your grandfather. I should know. We're b-best friends. You've... done better, fantastic things... independently." I finished the save with a smile, Pikachu throwing a peace sign as he sensed my doing.

"Chu."

Gary's expression changed from rejected to relieved, and I mentally told myself NEVER to bring up the topic again. The older boy was still sensitive about it. He, in return, grinned back before responding with a, "Okay flatterer, you got me. How about we begin the geocaching, yeah?"

"Bring it on!"

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

"_Wait u-up!_ Stopp... aww man, _seriously!?_"

.

.

Being the former rivals we were, Gary and I could make anything we do a competition. He, Pikachu, Eevee and I were able to generate a random location via this huge display screen next to the reception – there was a button on the wall just below it, and the older boy gave me the privilege to push it. Sooner or later, huge block letters of the location revealed itself – "Calico's Legacy", it read. It was so cryptic. There was no picture of the place so I had no idea how we were supposed to find it, but that title...

How intriguing.

With a few more technical duties to do, Gary dug through the contents of the aforementioned treasure hunting kit and took out two identical weird devices. He held them up one by one near the screen for a few seconds. "_Signal detected. Commence the hunt?" _They began to say, making this loud ping sound as they traced the location's coordinates one after the other.

There and then, as he handed me one of them after brief eye contact, I knew he was challenging me to find it first.

.

.

"Come on, Ashy, just a few steps away!"

Hah! The brunette was not just a FEW steps ahead of me. After scavenging the bottom of the mountain, we decided to search uphill, remnants of a collapsed whatever-it-was lying among the path we were taking. Eevee was right at the front, sniffing the ground for clues. Pikachu tried to hang on to me as I sprinted the whole way upwards, catching up to Gary before collapsing at the spot.

"Look, I k-know I should b-be used to this, but we've been running f-full speed for a w-while now! I'm exhausted for Arceus' sake." I informed him. Geez, my leg muscles were killing me. It was almost laughable, since yesterday I was the one who pulled us through to reach the Seagallop ferry before it left.

I've been travelling my whole life... Gary having more stamina than I did was so unfair.

When we started the hunt, the Pokémon Researcher immediately slid down one of the walkways of the valley, hopping over boulders if ever there were any. I outran him a few times, but he was more coolheaded and once I began to tire, he took advantage of it and sped up. Hop. Dodge. Check the detector. Keep going. Always ahead of me, always. Running. Running through twists and turns. Running ahead...

_Why are you running? Please don't go. Don't run away from me, stop. Stop and wait..._

_Wait for me to catch up..._

He held a hand out. "Well, if you want to find it before I do, you have to be a lot faster than that." Gary told me. "You should have conserved your energy when you were trying to outrun me. It helps when you know you're going to use it for further strenuous activity."

"I have no time to conserve my energy!" I shouted, flopping down on the dirt. "So unfair." I knew he was right. He was always right. Always there to look out for me, giving me advice and pfft.

Still so unfair.

Gary withdrew his hand, chuckling softly. The nerve of him laughing at me! He sat down beside me and dropped his belongings on the ground, the ping sound of his geocaching detector loud near my ears. "Sorry... I'm usually pumped up when it comes to seeking things out. There's always the _first-come-first-serve_ aspect of discovery, you see. We'll slow down then."

I sighed, raising an arm as I checked my own detector. The rubber wristbands we were wearing carried our global location, and as shown by the green dot on the screen we weren't near the geocache we were trying to find yet. The air was dusty from my running, making it that much harder for me to catch my breath. Pikachu crawled over and tapped my arm so he could see the detector for himself.

"Piiika." He gestured to the red dot; our geocache's location.

"You got something, Pikachu?"

"Chu."

"Gary, he thinks we're going the wrong way. This valley's huge isn't it?"

The older boy took out two containers from his bag — LUNCH! I immediately sat up and snatched one of them from him. "Yea-WOAH CALM DOWN! The container's not going anywhere, sheesh. Eevee dear, come over here, we've got food."

While we ate, the seventeen year old told me about the makings of Ruin Valley. It consisted of three main mountains – Mount Ebern, Antiqua and Drevni, Mount Drevni being the mountain the center was situated. The rest were just smaller hills. At the center of the valley was a cave called the Dotted Hole, another attraction of Fortune Island for its beautiful crystal crevices and mining history.

Calico's Legacy was another distance away – somewhere near Mt Antiqua, apparently. It could have been near the summit, or the middle-most areas, or the base, or near a cliffside; we still weren't really sure. The only sure way to go was to find a way through Ebern and keep searching. Didn't the two of us agree on flying there if need be?

Gary spoke up first. "So Pikachu thinks the path to Antiqua isn't uphill?"

"Pi."

"Eevee? Vee... Eev vee vee!"

"Really?" I stuffed another spoonful of omelette leftover into my mouth. A shortcut across Ebern instead of going uphill and following the path?

"We could take Skarmory and Charizard. It's not like we're cheating or anything." Gary suggested. "Eev and Pikachu smell tracks that way somewhere." He pointed across the pathway diagonally with his fork.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't rely on them too much because we want to find them ourselves, right? We could do a half and half."

"Sounds great."

Some time later, we mounted Charizard and Skarmory together, the two glaring daggers at each other as if they knew this was war. Pikachu sat in front of me. His paws were gripping the detector carefully to avoid it from falling while I told the fire type where to fly. One-fourteen on my Pokétch, direction: north-east, zooming forward in competition with the emerald-eyed boy.

"We should have done this a long time ago! What better way to see the valley than from the sky!" I yelled at Gary, his Eevee, Skarmory and himself metres behind me. Charizard was well trained in flying, so I wasn't worried about going so fast.

"Tomorrow! It's the last day so we'll go aerial sightseeing in Quest Island!" He hollered back. We weren't flying high enough to reach the clouds, but it _was _high enough to see a gist of the terrain. Eroded faces of Mount Antiqua led to a scatter of rocks at its base. More pillars and statues of old, erected around and maintained for as long as they lasted. People. Geocachers' cars and miniscule figures hiking along walkways. Then all of a sudden: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP, my detector was sensing the location was close.

"Pikaaaaaaaaa!"

"That's right! We're just above it!" Skarmory was already descending, darn it. "Charizard, down! We've got to land before they do!"

"Rizardddd!"

Upon landing, my buddy and I took off immediately. This time around, I tried not to run so much as to use up all my energy. Travelling far and wide as well as chasing and being chased improved my ability to sprint quickly. "P-Pi-kachu! Come on, b-buddy!"

Hop, squick, tap tap tap tap. I just passed Gary again and was about to pass Eevee, dodging a log somewhere along the path.

"Char chaar!" He and Skarmory chose to follow us from above, leaving the seeking to us.

BEEP BEEP BEEEP BEEEEEP...

"Oh no, you don't, Ashy-love! I won't let you win!" Crap, he was sprinting as well! So we really were head-to-head against each other, huh? **No way!**

"Pi-pika!"

Check the detector, green dot nearing red, turning purple even, weird clearing devoid of rubble and a few trees which meant it was around HERE–

"Eeeveee!"

BEEEEEP BEEEEEEEP!

THERE! A significant ruin! Gary was so close but there was no way I was going to–

"A-Almost there! Sorry in advance, b-but I'm winning this, Ashy!"

"S-STOP RIGHT THERE GARY!"

Pant pant pant...

Just when I had outran him yet again, Gary jumped, the jerk, literally body slamming the ground as he reached the location first. In all fairness, his hand grazed over the stone, deeming him the winner of this impromptu challenge. Agggghhhhhhhhhh! I hated losing! Whyyyyyyyyy!

For the millionth time in less than an hour... _So unfair._

**~o~**

"Ha ha, k-knew it. I still g-got the skills." beamed the gym leader, taking really audible short breaths. I slowed to a stop and fell down on my butt, sulking.

"Noooo f-fair! I was so c-close but _n-n-nooooo_, you d-decided to see if y-you could fly! Ufu..."

Our two buddy Pokémon were exhausted as well. Joining us on our little circle of resting were Charizard and Skarmory, now reconciled as they nodded at each other nicely.

"Sorry, Ashy, really." I could see Gary trying to reach out for me through my fringe, his hand too far to do so. I scooted further.

"You won fairly, Gary-Berry, but I d-don't like you right now."

Shaking his head, he countered, "So you'd rather I let you win? Hah. I'm not a prideful Pokémon Researcher for nothing." The brunette attempted to sit up, only keeling when he'd discovered he wounded himself in the process.

"Arceus, Gary, are you alright?" I crept to him, slightly concerned. Eevee felt the same way as she licked at the gash on her trainer's right arm; the injury likely to be caused by a stone from when he skidded over to reach the ruin.

"'M fine. It's just a scratch, don't kill yourself with worry." He dusted his clothes and turned the detectors off as their constant beeping was getting irritating.

Looking at the bigger picture, we'd arrived at Calico's Legacy, our chosen ruin location. How would I describe it...

To put it simply, it was a tombstone. A decaying, dusty, charcoal-coloured rock, the edges flawed with multitudinous cracks. There was a small handprint at the top-most left of its face, and written on it was an encrypted foreign language that couldn't be deciphered by sight. A tombstone, huh. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that this "legacy" must have been an important memory of whoever Calico was.

There was a shovel in the vicinity and more digging tools in our kit, and if I heard correctly, the "treasure" we were seeking had to be dug out. In it was supposed to be a logbook that we had to contribute to, as well as information about the ruin and other important relics left by previous geocachers. Our names, the date we found it, our thoughts and feelings about the place – anything else that was relevant enough, we had to write on the logbook. At the end of the hunt, we're to leave something meaningful to us behind for other geocachers to seek out. That put the _precious_ aspect in this treasure hunting activity, at least. I did us the favour of digging it up, even though the brunette strongly insisted to help out.

The six of us gathered together closely while Gary opened it up. Granted, it was taken from the ground, so he had to dust it free of dirt before we could unearth its contents. According to the super old brochures inside the treasure box, Calico's Legacy was based on the memory of a Trapinch named Kali Koh (it briefly reminded me of the nickname channel we watched yesterday) and how it saved an important family from what was believed to be an enemy raid in the very far past. The heir was still a baby back then, and the story told us that it was one of the few creatures that came over to help. Kali Koh did all it could to keep the baby unharmed, even giving up its life for it. To think that even back then, Pokémon and humans could work together... it was plenty inspiring, to be honest. Nonetheless, I couldn't imagine a past without them.

Long story short, the family dedicated this tombstone for Kali Koh, later known as Calico for the modern folk. It saddened me gravely, that someday, my Pokémon could...

"Hey, hey, are you _crying?_" Gary laid a hand on my shoulder. No I wasn't, it was just... it was _sad_ and _beautiful_ and _scary_ and...

I sniffed loudly. "'M not, don't worry 'bout me. I'll write on the logbook now but I'm okay."

The older boy squeezed my shoulder before patting me. "Okay, okay. If you need a tissue, ask me." He passed me a pen and busied himself with hydrating the flying types.

What exactly would I write on this thing without sounding completely lame... I thought over it for a while and began to draft a passage.

"Ash Ketchum, seventeen years old, August tenth. I haven't gone geocaching before but I have now. The story about Calico may (or may not!) have moved me to tears. Reading about it made me think about how brave it must have been, and how amazing our relationships with Pokémon were, even in the past. I'm glad this was our chosen random location and I'm glad that I went geocaching. I'd like to go do this again with my best friend Gary sometime."

It was interesting to read over past geocachers' thoughts about this place as well. Some of their entries were roughly the same as mine – there was this little girl who drew flowers on the borders of her page, captioning it with, "For Calico, thank you". When I was done with it I handed it to Gary and opted to look through the other things in the box. There was a Seagallop ferry pass, its expiry date dating three years ago. A tiny teddy bear, possibly from that little girl. Two rings, some coins, a still-sealed envelope and even a corkscrew – how that was important, I couldn't really tell.

Now to leave something meaningful to me but not enough that I would miss it... Hah. There wasn't much inside my bag save for a few spare clothes. I probably had some currency in my wallet but was that really special enough...?

I was wearing my red scale necklace, and I definitely knew I still had my Pokéball good luck charm. But those meant too much to me that I didn't want to lose them, not even to leave them here where they'd be considered as sentimental relics for the future.

What to leave... what to leave...

Ugh...

.

.

.

I was chewing on my lip and making ridiculous expressions to myself when I remembered... my digital camera! It had a polaroid feature, and I had film somewhere in my bag pockets. Maybe a picture of us and the now we were living would serve as memory enough...

Right? Right?!

"Gary, are you done? I've an idea for what we can leave!" I said, rummaging through shirts and trousers instantaneously.

"Oh yeah?" The chocolate-haired teen shut the logbook and collected the geocache box contents together. "I was thinking of leaving coins since that's the only thing I have on me. Shoot then."

Once I found it, I showed him the camera and opened up a new pack of film. "A picture. It's memory enough, isn't it? The both of us, together on this trip. The future geocachers won't know who we are, but at least it's very meaningful to you and I. Besides... they'll be jealous because I'm best friends with someone who's so photogenic!" I teased, setting it up quickly.

"Pikachu-pi!"

"Vee~!"

Our Pokémon were already positioning themselves in the frame. Fixing up my tripod in a perfect place, I adjusted the angle and found a perfect pose, picking up Pikachu and letting him perch on my hat.

Gary was still not moving from his spot. It was like this morning again, with the _"being-distracted" _and _"not-hearing-anything" _phase. "Come on, Gary, have you gone off to la-la land again?" I walked over to him and pulled him by the shirt. The camera wasn't set to go off until after twenty seconds, so we had enough time to get into frame.

"Ahaha, sorry, I _was_–"

"_Thinking,_ yeah, I know. Come on, then. Scooch closer to me! You're not gonna fit in if you're that far!" The camera was down to its last few seconds. This was going to be a nice photo, I could tell already.

"Smile everybody!"

"Charizard." The Kanto starter blew another flamethrower at the sky. In the middle of the frame was Calico's tombstone, Skarmory and Charizard edged to the left side and the four of us to the right.

"Mory...!"

"Pi-pikachuuu!"

"Eeeeevee!"

FLASH! Large grins and funny faces, memorialized by a digitally-captured image.

What better way to end our quest than with a picture to commemorate it...

**o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o**

With our geocaching activity over, Gary and I settled on exploring the rest of the valley for the time being. Charizard and Skarmory were happy to take us to the Dotted Hole, but we didn't go further than the first layer of the cave. The emerald-eyed teen told me we had to have the right equipment from the center to abseil down the cave for the more breathtaking chasms. It was nice. Not as chilly as Icefall Cave, and the echoing sounds were more pronounced. There weren't a lot of people inside, so we were free to capture photos of the rare crystallized crevices we could find. The six of us found our way out of the cave by easily following this line of destroyed, rusty minecart tracks, as well as the string of lanterns fastened across the top sides of the cave.

I wanted to visit Outcast Island at the other, further side of the archipelago as well, but we'd outstayed our time and were ready to head back. It convinced me even more how fast time was going, and how I wished I could somehow draw out this week for just a little bit more. Alas, some things had to end. Yet another safe flight towards the center to return what we borrowed and back to the town (As obedient as Charizard was, there were times were he grew tired of carrying me enough to want to drop me from a thousand feet above) and we were on the ferry back to Boon Island before I knew it.

It was hardly late afternoon when we made it back to the hotel – about four thirty according to my Pokétch. Upon entering through the front doors, Gary and I noticed there was something going on somehow, indicated by the stream of garlands across the reception walls. The lighting had also changed – it was somewhat brighter inside, and island-native music boomed through the speakers of the first level.

"Must be some kind of event... I haven't read anything like this going on." Gary whispered, petting Eevee happily as she began to sway to the music in his arms.

"Vee veee vee."

There was this hotel bellhop standing next to the reception whom I called over to ask what was going on. "Oh, sir. Paradise Inn is throwing a treasure hunt of sorts, if I could put it that way. I am not sure of the instructions, but the guests who win will receive a special prize."

A TREASURE HUNT! As if things couldn't be more coincidental. Come to think of it, the brunette and I hadn't bothered to explore Paradise Inn as it was. It wasn't everyday you were given the opportunity to stay at a five star hotel. What did I know about this place, excepting Room 141 and its affinity for crimson duvets and golden walls? I chanced a glance at Gary who got my wordless message and nodded back.

He asked the bellhop this time, "Where would we sign up?"

"I'm sure the hosts will be here soon – there'll be a table around here to join from."

"Pikapi, pi pika!" Pikachu and I were excited for another chance to seek the unknown.

Within a short timeframe the ukelele solo playing in the background gradually faded out as it transitioned to an announcement made by some voice-actor sounding guy. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS; GUESTS OF OUR BELOVED PARADISE INN, WE WELCOME YOU FROM ACROSS THE WORLD, FROM THE REGION NEXT DOOR OR WHEREVER YOU COME FROM! My name is Francis, and I'd like to be excused as I invite you all to Paradise Inn's event of the week: this time around, a hotel treasure hunt for the avid searchers around!" He sounded so animated over the speakers that even the really young children I could spot were interested to listen.

Whilst he spoke, a foldable table was being transported by four other staff, just as the bellhop had said. A long-haired ginger man with a microphone walked along with them; Francis definitely.

"Now, for those who are interested, you can sign up at a table near the reception; there'll be signs around for all to see, and I'll be the one waving a flag nearby. Of course, what good is there to join a treasure hunt without an appropriate prize? You can do this alone, in groups of three, as a family, or however else – I assure you, each individual will be awarded for their efforts." Hazel eyes watched him clear his throat in the distance. "What better prize then, than a _free_, all-you-can-eat meal to any restaurant in Boon Island for one day?_ Any_ restaurant, ladies and gentlemen, _any_ time of day for twenty four hours! First three winners, guaranteed!"

WE

HAVE

TO

WIN

WE

HAVE

TO

WIN

WE

HAVE

TO

WIN! The Eevee Trainer actually grinned slyly at me for this — what better prize but **food**, as established by Francis? I was not going to let this opportunity pass by!

The latter began to finish off. "So for those who are interested, there will be a table near the reception, boys and girls. First floor, many signs, man waving a flag. The instructions and necessary forms will be given to you then. Thank you very much and enjoy your stay!" Just in time, the men were already done setting up the aforementioned table, surrounded by signage and whatnot. Sweeeeet! Free food! Who didn't like free food?! Someone tell me who! With a prize like that, I wouldn't need to feel guilty for letting Gary pay a majority, if not all, of my dining fees.

**This. Was. Going. To. Be. Great!**

"I know what you're going to say, Ashy." I wasn't even thinking of speaking when Gary ushered me over to the table. "We'll win it, if it's the last thing we do here. You can count on me; Pokémon Researcher's word."

Yay~! At least the emerald-eyed boy and I would be working together this time. I could still feel the strain on my limbs from a while ago, but it wasn't going to stop me from winning that prize! Pikachu and Eevee were here to assist us too, so those free restaurant meals were undeniably in the bag. I couldn't wait!

"Pika!"

"Eev vee vee!"

Yeah! That's right! Enthusiasm in numbers!

WOOOOHOOOOOO! Yeah! Yeah! Yeahhhhh!

As Paradise Inn was a five star hotel, you'd expect it to be super extravagant, a place where only the elite could afford (and I was no elite _yet_, so just staying over said hotel for a week was an honour I never appreciated as much before). We were about to discover just how extravagant it could be by participating in this game. My best friend and I were among the first to sign up – "Just sign your team names and room number and put it in this box," one of Francis' associates said, handing us pens and a sheet of paper with place names on it. We both skimmed over the paper together, picking up key words like, "Duskull Fashion" and "The Emporium of Time". _Interesting..._

It wouldn't be fair if we just took off right now, so we had to wait along with the other competitors. A family of five, triplet sisters, an old woman, a gang of mixed friends. All of them eager to compete and win, except there was no way in Arceus' name I would let them win. A few more trickled in until the reception floor was slightly crowded, prompting the staff to assemble us a little closer together.

I seeked out Gary's hand to my right. "It's not a champion title, but it kind of feels that way..." I was actually shivering in anticipation. Pikachu who was on my left gave me a comfort nuzzle in response.

Gary's reply was matter-of-factly. "Well, that's because food's the prize. Everyone and Arceus knows the things you love are winning gym battles, Pokémon and food. It's only given you want to win for something you love..."

"Veee..."

"Hah, is that why you won a while ago? Because it was all about the ruins and you wanted it more?"

"Err, kind of. But really, I just wanted to beat you."

"Jerk." I bumped him, hard, and if we weren't holding hands he would have toppled over. He was about to fall onto this person when I pulled him back just in time.

"Seriously, Ash? Did you really have to do that?"

"No. Sorry." Eevee wasn't very happy either – she was on Gary's shoulder and would have hurt herself badly if it weren't for his right arm catching her.

The wait was long over when Francis tapped the microphone, checking if it worked before his loud voice echoed over the floor. "Alright, looks like we've got enough players. Everyone just loves free food, huh? I know I do!" There was laughter among the audience.

"Well, wouldn't want to keep you too long, so I'll keep this brief. To avoid complications, what you are looking for are those place names on your given sheet of paper. They're all within Paradise Inn grounds. Grab a stamp from a staff member waving a flag, and off you go to the next place! The first three teams to complete it wins the major prize, but for those who've just participated; room service will be granted free for you too!

WIN-WIN SITUATION?! THAT WAS AWESOME! WAS THIS PLACE MAGICAL OR WHAT?

But of course, that announcement wasn't enough to steel my nerves. Everyone was waiting for that one phrase; _the phrase_ that would finally set us free.

It was as if the grand analogue clocks hoisted on the many walls of the first level seemed to tick louder and louder every second.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The ginger adjusted his bow tie. "Alright then! Are you ready, fellow guests and folks?"

"Ready!" Engaging running stance... Pikachu was safe, check. Gary's got the sheet of paper, check; his hand in mine so I could pull him with me as I sprinted, check.

"On your marks... get set..."

.

.

.

Breathe in, breathe out...

.

.

.

"GOOOOOOO!"

**~o~**

"Okay okay okay okay, we've got this one now, let's go go go _go_ **go** to the Pizzeria, come on!" Time was passing significantly and the brunette and I had just finished collecting the stamp from Zero Gravity, an arcade located at the twentieth floor. To tell you the truth, that wasn't even the last floor. The elevators went up to twenty three floors, and because we've only used them to go up to our rooms, I never really noticed. In our case, the stairs were more convenient for getting around, but they were _exhausting…_

All the other competitors were probably in the third column on their lists now, with what running around the four of us had been doing. Our sheet of paper had three columns with twelve place names in each, said places interspersed all over the inn beyond comprehension. We weren't allowed to have a map of the hotel either, so we had to manage with reading signs and, if need be, asking the staff for directions. Luci's Pizzeria was next on the list… ARGHHHHHH, fifteen down and so many more, how many more stamps would we need to win that prize?!

But aside from the constant scurrying around here and there, this hunt was a really good way to see the hotel and test the efficiency of the aforementioned signage for guests like us. As laborious as it was, I had to read the brochures to learn where the Pokémon feeding grounds were, which, as of the moment anyway, was more hassling than having to explore the hotel yourself. Paradise Inn was not, in fact, based on a gold and red theme – the architecture for each floor was different and definitely glowing in magnificence. There was a separate section for hotel rooms and shops, each level made spick and span and of high and worthy five-star quality. The fourteenth level as I recall had walls of hexagonal tiles, puzzled together in a pattern like being inside a black and white beehive. There were hotel floors of gold and white mosaic tiles, similar to stained glass collage; gourd shapes and diamond patterns continuous until it reached the carpeted stairs and elevators. The lights, the ceiling! A collection of lightbulbs merged into one, fragile, intricate chandeliers and traditional lanterns on one floor and the next. Of course, I couldn't omit the ultraviolet foundations made of silver and that one indoor bridge and arch for Arceus' sake. Beautiful statues and interwoven metallic walls and neon orange lights – there were really no words to describe everything I've seen properly.

"Pikaaaaa." The Pokémon pulled at my shirt, prompting me to calm down from the hype. Eevee was snuggling in Gary's arms, desperate to get some sleep.

"How about we figure out a strategy?" thought Gary, patting the normal type's fur. There wasn't any time to figure out a strategy, we just had to keep going and–

"_Yeah, _I know that look you're giving me Ash – there isn't much time to stop and think. But think of it this way. We've been interchanging floors, up and down, left and right and whatever to cross off this list chronologically. That's the problem. How about we figure out which places are in the same floor, and work downwards?" The seventeen year old suggested.

"We don't have a map, Gary. We'd still need to look for signs."

"But we're doing that anyway." He countered in his, "I-know-something-and-I-will-use-it-against-you" voice. "You forget I'm a Pokemon Researcher. Memory is one of our key traits, so thank Arceus I memorize the hotel's layout from the brochures."

Trust Gary to be so amazing as always.

"Okay, you lead the way. Twentieth floor, which places to go?" Pikachu chipped in with a, "Pipipi!"

"Estrange Works... and _err..._ what is that small text... Box World, it seems. Let's go."

A few more stairs, a few more shops, a few more majestic floors and a few more steps. Some of our fellow competitors were just as stressed out as we were, barrelling to and from places and sweeping through the list to the best of their abilities. Our last shop was on the same level as Room 141, some massage center or whatever. Getting the stamp was easy, getting to reception with our completed list was another matter. I was exhausted, Pikachu was exhausted, Gary was trying not to wheeze so much and Eevee was all snores. We took the elevator, impatiently waiting for its doors to open, jamming the "one" button repeatedly.

It was so close. I may have lost to Gary a while ago, but there was no way I was losing to anyone else. When the doors pinged open, we rushed over towards the table, my hand in the gym leader's as we pulled each other there. Pikachu and I got reacquainted with the ground, huffing and puffing with adrenaline. The chocolate-haired teen was the one to submit the sheet. Arceus be damned if I cared about the staff eyeing me for lying down on the floor. I was tired, I wanted food and I wanted to go sleep. Puu.

**~o~**

_I was outside._

_A large building, the smell of fear, tasting metallic pungence. _

_Ringing noises and tears, sobbing; please don't cry, I don't understand, why is someone crying, it doesn't make any sense..._

_"I'm sorry, but -hazy-hazy-omit-hazy-blurry-hazy-what-AREYOUSAYING–"_

_"No, that's not TRUE! It can't be, don't do this to me!"_

_Ash._

_...My name._

_Ash..._

_That was my name..._

_ASH. ASH. ASH._

Who was calling me...

"Hey, Ashy, get up." Hazel eyes opening to meet bright jade-coloured orbs.

"If you don't get up anytime soon, Yamasks will carry you to nowhere and I won't stop them. I would have carried you to our room but we had to stay around so get up." Gary. That was definitely Gary.

That's right, we were together. Where were we again? Was it morning? I couldn't seem to remember.

Why was I napping on a sofa...?

"'M up, don't let the Yamasks take me, Gary." I stretched an arm out and sat up, Pikachu sound asleep on my belly. First level of Paradise Inn, around the waiting couches. Dark outside. Six twenty-three, August tenth. Weird.

The Eevee Trainer turned away hastily, line of sight towards a foldable table next to the reception. Wait, I fell asleep on the floor and we were waiting for the treasure hunt winners to be announced! Who won? Did we win? Please say we won. I wanted to win! From the looks of it, all the other competitors were also waiting for a verdict, but if we were here before anyone else, it was more than likely we were close to victory.

I took the electric type with me and tucked him in next to Eevee with our belongings at one of the one-person scarlet sofas. Trudging closer to the table and inches away from the older boy, I winced at the feedback from the speakers ringing in my ears, sleepily annoyed. Francis was back with his jovial aura and odd flag-waving feat, perfoming a mic test before fully waking me up with the news. "NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING PARADISE INN'S WEEKLY ACTIVITY! I assure you all, room service free for one meal for all participants, management promises." Applauses replaced the announcement and the brunette and I exchanged glances, quietly congratulating one another.

"Righty-o, then. Let's get this thing finished shall, we? I would like to especially congratulate Miss Amanda and her Skiploom; Room 456. You win one of the free restaurant passes, we'll done to you!" The old woman stepped up, handkerchief dabbing her eyes joyfully. If that Grandma could win, then so could we! Right? RIGHT!? Ugh, waiting for results was one of the worst feelings ever.

"Second prize then, to err, Pikachu and Eevee, Ash and Gary of Room 141! Amazing, amazing! Super kudos to you four!"

Oh, hey, that was us. _Congratulations to us, we just won–_

WAIT!

THAT WAS US!

Second place but that wasn't so bad, HAH!

Yay! We get to have free foooood! Yay!

"Alright, quit your inward yapping, Ashy-love. We still haven't collected it." Gary responded, pulling me by the shirt towards the table to shake Francis' hand. We were presented with two tickets that guaranteed free dining for twenty four hours, anywhere in Boon Island, any time of day. And since our last day was tomorrow, what better time to use it then? I walked away with the older boy, tempted to jump up and down at the ecstatic feeling that was getting free food.

ANYWHERE.

ON THIS ISLAND.

HAH!

"Well then, last major prize! Derek and the gang of Room 209, 210 and 211!" announced Francis with the biggest grin ever. And I could understand why he was so happy – MUST BE AMAZING TO BE SO GENEROUS TO GUESTS, haha!

I couldn't stop smiling.

More applauses and celebrations later, my best friend and I made it back to our room in one piece, the crimson couches of our lounge the best place to be. Dinner wasn't so bad as I whipped ourselves up a simple experimentation of mushroom soup. Tomorrow though – we'd dine like kings! Woohoo! I eased in next to the Viridian City Gym Leader and snuggled happily with him, weirdness be damned.

"Thanks loads, Gary-Berry~ You're amazing."

He just nodded back. "Told you we'd win it. Helped to have a strategy, right?"

"Yeah. You've been taking such good care of me this week, ha ha." I downed my third helping of soup. "Maybe we could watch a movie tonight like old times. And if I fall asleep, you'll just tuck me in or carry me back to bed, right? I'm no princess though, so don't even think about it." The remote control was just in front of the lounge table so I grabbed it to flick to an interesting channel.

He actually sputtered indignantly at that, the weirdo. It wasn't that embarrassing, sheesh. "Do you have to say such things?"

"You will, wouldn't you? Thanks in advance."

Gary's face was reddening so much that he pulled away to clear the sink. Hahaha! Ash wins this irritation round! The electric and normal type were settled at their sleeping spot from last night, cute little mewls a substitute for snores. When Gary returned, I tucked my arm around his as I rested my eyes on the action movie that was playing.

"You don't pull away anymore." I caught those silent words of his, shaking my head in the process. So many muttered phrases; did he really think I was deaf?

"Would you want me to?" I mumbled back, hitting him weakly for the surprised look he was giving me. ...What? Was I not allowed to show my affections too? Geez; it was as if we weren't best friends and we haven't known each other forever...

Forever a weirdo: Gary Oak, everybody.

"No." Mutter, mutter, mumble, fidget.

.

.

.

Yeah.

.

.

.

I didn't want this to end, either.

Last day tomorrow, it really wasn't fair. But with what treasure hunting I've been doing today, I hope it would help me find what I've been looking for soon. Soon so I could settle down and find a place to call home.

Soon so I could explore the world and all its wonders just as it was.

Soon, together with people who cared about me.

* * *

_I need to find you._

* * *

***tears hair off***

***cries***

***destroys nearest hard object by throwing it against the wall***

**OH MY ARCEUS, I HATE EVERYTHING IT IS DONE.**

**I'm sorry, everyone, I'm a terrible human being HAHA.**

***weeps depressingly***

**Well, finally ****_finally_****finally****, I rushed the crap out of the ending because misery and ACK!**

**Thanks so much, everyone! I love you guys for putting up with me. I'm SORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYY**


End file.
